Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel
by Yeshua
Summary: After the rebirth of Garland, Gaia settles into relative peace. The mist from the Iifa Tree is gone, and the power of the roots is instilled in Kirika Tribal. More summary inside. Read and Review...
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: The extra bits of the summary are here: After the rebirth of Garland, Gaia settles into relative peace. The mist from the Iifa Tree is gone, and the power of the roots is instilled in Kirika Tribal. Now Garland and Mikoto are up to no good, sending a group called the 'Black Tail' after all of them. Later, there will be romance between Kirika and someone else. Enjoy!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Prelude-The Miseducation of Amaranthine

Alexandria Castle

6:17 A.M.

Kirika:

          A whine filled my ears, followed by the light snuffling of a nose and then the wet slurp of a tongue in my ear. Normally, I would have ignored it due to the fact that Alexandria Castle had plenty of cats in it, but well…what existed in my room wasn't a cat. A rough set of jaws or maybe hands shook me and dragged me out of bed. My eyes shot open fully, bring me face to face with my now pet dragon, Amaranthine. She peered at me with her glossy blue eyes and dropped me on the floor.

          "Let me guess, your hungry, right?"

          She nodded, easing herself over to the wall to let me get to my feet. Amaranthine was Silver's pup (A/N: You know, I'm not sure what baby dragons are called.) and she was barely two years old. However, she lacked the weight and muscle of a normal two-year-old Silver Dragon, so Kuja volunteered to take care of her for Silver. It was the least he could do, right? Heh, now I know you are probably wondering about what's going on and what has changed…so I shall tell you.

          After the 'defeat' of the Iifa Tree, we settled back in Alexandria, conveniently staying away from the castle until it was rebuilt. During the two years it took to rebuild it, I had grown ill as a long-term result of inhaling the poisonous mist of the Iifa. The illness weakened my vocal cords, which forced me to speak in a raspy tone and even sometimes in a hoarse whisper. Nevertheless, Kuja was upset about my loss and even today; he is still searching for a doctor to fix that problem. But I was used to it by now, plus I had plenty of medicine to make me feel better.

          Since those two years, Gaia has gone through a major technological upgrade. We now had engines that ran on air, and cell phones and various other things to make life easier. Well…let us get back to what is truly important.

          I slipped on a thin robe and opened the two double doors to my bedroom. Amaranthine bounded past me; stopping at the top of the stairs, tail waving faintly. I laughed, closing the door behind me and walked to the stairs. Amaranthine hesitated for a moment and nudged me further down the hall until we reached the door to the dining hall. I opened both doors and walked inside, ignoring her annoyed growl. Everyone was at the table, busily helping themselves to the food. Kuja pushed a baby's bottle to the end of the table, not bothering to pull himself from the food. I couldn't blame him, especially since he hadn't eaten very well in the past two months.

          Why? He said that he had been gravely ill, but I knew that was a lie. Kuja was dying, and he knew it. I took the bottle and sat in the empty seat in front of it. My plate was immediately filled up with food within seconds. Amaranthine sat her head in my lap and I stuck the bottle in her mouth, letting her drink.

          "Good morning, Kirika and Amaranthine. How did you sleep?" Garnet asked.

          "I was sleeping fine, but thanks to Amaranthine, that was short live," I answered.

          Amaranthine snorted and finished her bottle off calmly. With her taken care of, I started on my breakfast, which tasted spicy but very good. _The cooks were out doing themselves again._

          "Kirika today is Amaranthine's training day. This time, we'll teach her everything but hunting," Kuja said softly.

          "Even verbal and whistle cues?"

          He nodded. I groaned and shook my head. Verbal cues were my bane now, especially with my voice in its current condition. And personally, I thought whistle cues were primitive. Amaranthine was not a dog. She was a halfway grown dragon.

          "Kuja, I really don't like the idea of the whistle for Amaranthine right now," I said softly.

          Amaranthine nuzzled my stomach and sent one thought through my mind: 'I want to make it easier for you, Mommy.' I couldn't help but smile at the thought. Children really are evil sometimes.

          "On second thought, I'll take my easier statement back."

          "Good, because Amaranthine needs a bath."

Beneath the Black Mage Village

Mikoto:

          It had been a long time since I have gone down to this area, underneath the happiness of the Black Mage Village. I suppose it was time for me to disappear and place my plan into motion. However, I sorely missed the company of Kirei. You see, Kirei left me for Kuja's company quite earlier last year. She said I was wrong for being so evil and jealous. I shrugged her off and let her leave without a thought.

          I walked down the hallway slowly, listening to the echo of my footsteps. I opened the door slowly to a room illuminated in green. My gaze settled on the various containers of genomes, being supported by a small supply of mist. Alas, my mist stores were running dry, but that was fine. The genomes in the containers were almost ready to breathe Gaian air.

          "They are almost ready, are they not?"

          I turned around slowly, knowing that the next face I would see would be that of my creator, Garland.

          "Yes, master. And how is your end of the plan going?"

          Garland smirked.

          "Almost ready. I just have to get _them_ ready."

          Them? I didn't bother to ask about who he meant when he said them. After all, I wasn't in the place to do so.

          "What is the status on our targets?"

          "Nothing except for the fact that Kuja is finally dying."

Alexandria City

Kirika:

          "Ugh, stop splashing me, Amaranthine!"

          More and more lake water splashed over me, soaking me to the bone. Somehow, I was glad I had remained in my pajamas for this rather annoying task. However, bath time was primetime entertainment for Amaranthine. And by primetime…I mean primetime.

          "It's hard to keep her disciplined, isn't it?"

          I knew whose voice that was: Kirei's. She was dressed in a see-through outfit that shimmered in the light.

          "Well…Amaranthine can be a little difficult at times, but she really is a sweet dragon. I don't mind being soaked. It's just another bath for me," I answered softly.

          "Ah, well Kuja told me to take over for you. So, I'll be getting to work now."

          I didn't bother to protest that order. My throat had enough punishment for now. I walked away from the dragon and set myself down on the steps nearby.

          "Amaranthine, come here!" Kirei shouted, bringing the whistle up to her mouth.

          She blew in it two times and set it down, beckoning Amaranthine forward. Amaranthine obeyed silently, dragging her wet body out of the lake with all the speed she could muster.

          "How's your throat feeling?"

          I glanced up into the dulling blue eyes of my father.

          "It's a little sore," I whispered.

          "You'll have to go inside to get it treated, you know."

          "I know that. So how are you?"

          Kuja shrugged.

          "I could be better, but I will tell you this: I am feeling much better now."

          For your sake, Kuja, I hope you are. Trust me, I know your life story. It wont' be long before you vanish. I just hope you won't suffer.

          "Besides, after Kirei is finished, I want you to help Amaranthine fly to the Forgotten Continent with me.

          "Amaranthine can only do short distance flying. Her wings aren't strong enough to carry her long distances yet."

          Kuja gave me a look that said 'I know!' and walked into town. Well, I wasn't going to disobey him of course. I got up and motioned for Amaranthine to come to my side. She tore away from Kirei's grasp and stopped just inches away from my face.

          "Stay with Kirei until I get back, ok?" I whispered.

          Amaranthine nuzzled my chest and lay down on the paved portion of the riverside. I got into the boat and told the guard to return to the castle with a wave.

About an Hour later

Skies above the ocean

Kirika:

          I watched idly as Amaranthine's great wings flapped powerfully up and down. I was surprised to see that she was handling my weight well. Our destination was the hidden grove of silver dragons on the Forgotten Continent. It was the only place that no one in Gaia except for us knew for a good reason. Hundreds of silver dragons perished nine years ago, which cut the population down severely. The grove was the only place where dragon could reproduce in peace.

          'Are we meeting Mommy?'

          I jumped a little at Amaranthine's inner voice.

          'What's wrong, Mommy?'

          "Nothing, my dear. And yes, we're going to see Silver," I said out loud.

          'Oh boy!'

          There was a shrill ring that pierced the air. I reached in my pocket and pulled my phone out.

          "Kirika, bring Amaranthine inside. She must be tired."

          "Will do."


	2. It Starts

Author's Note: For some odd reason, ff.net wouldn't let me upload Dream Weaver Chapter 2 correctly, so there will be a new format in effect for it. Sorry about that, but until I figure out what's going on with Microsoft Word, that's the way it will look. Enjoy, this chapter, since there may not be an update in possibly a few days. I'm sick x.x;

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 2-It starts

Dragon's Grove-Forgotten Continent

Kirika:

          I touched the barrier surrounding the grove fondly, feeling every last bit of energy in it. Kuja walked up beside me with Amaranthine not so far behind him.

          "Unlock it," He said softly.

          "Gladly."

          I took my hand and ran it up the side of the barrier until I felt a weak spot. With a swift tap, the barrier faded and the lush, dense forest of the grove appeared. Amaranthine bounded in happily while Kuja and I set about to forming a new one that only us could go through. It wasn't long before we finished and could go deeper into the grove. Silver was nestled in the greener more secluded corners of the forest, due to the fact that she had one other pup to raise other than Amaranthine.

          "Are you ready to go, Silver?" Kuja asked softly.

          Silver growled and nudged the other child into the forest before getting back up. Amaranthine nudged her mother with her nuzzle, growling lightly.

          "Her other little one will be ok, right?" I asked.

          I had to make sure of this somehow. And even if it wasn't going to be ok, the Invincible only had room for Amaranthine and Silver. Kuja waved me off.

          "The child is fine, now let's go."

Beneath the Black Mage Village

Mikoto:

          I entered a sequence of keys into keyboard close to me with a small frown. It seemed to me that the genomes were still not ready and my mist stores were too far depleted to support them after today. So it was a small wrench in my plans. This wouldn't stop me…well at least not long. Now I had to rely on Garland, which was something I didn't quite want to do, yet.

          "And yet, you have no choice."

          "Go away Garland. I don't need you around right now."

          "That's a shame, Mikoto. I have an alternative to your misty woes, if you dare to listen."

          I snorted.

          "Cut the poetry, Garland. I'm not in the mood for it."

          "Of course you aren't. But that's why I don't care. Anyways, I have a plan that will power your genomes up greatly."

          Garland said the one thing I needed to hear: genomes and power.

          "What's your plan?" I asked.

          "Glad you are ready to listen, Mikoto. Who has the most power in Gaia?'

          "Kirika Tribal, of course."

          "Right. So if you want power for your genomes, you must stop it from her."

          That was a possibility but…

          "How? Alexandria Castle is heavy guarded nowadays. It would be difficult for us to do it."

          "Ah, but I've already taken care of that issue. I'll just send them after her."

Later on that evening

7:14 P.M.

Kirika:

          I ran a small brush down the length of my hair, noting the silver feathers that lay hidden within it and sat down on the end of my bed. Amaranthine was absent from my room, content to go hunting with her mother. So I was left alone for the rest of the evening. I couldn't very well bother anyone else due to the fact that they were in an important meeting. I got up and opened my window slowly. Alexandria truly was lovely at night with its buildings all aglow. I knew what I could do: take a walk!

          I moved off of my bed and slid into my boots as quickly as I could. After a few minutes of running, I found myself outside of the castle. There were plenty of guards about at this time, thanks to Kuja's security plan. I waved to them idly and uttered the words to a float spell. I leaned forward and sped over the lake's surface, just barely creating a ripple on it. A cry of pain filled the air, shaking me out of the spell. What was all that about? Cries of pain meant trouble…like bully trouble. That definitely wasn't my forte, but…I was curious. I crept into the back ally, using the shadows as cover. I could now pick up on some other sentences.

          "Ha, so this is how you act when your big brother isn't around, Nat."

          "Leave me alone!"

          As I drew near, I could hear the thud of a connected punch and the gag that followed. So far, the only thing I could tell about this situation was that a little girl or boy was being cornered by bullies. I stepped back into the main street and saw the source of the crying. A little girl about seven lay almost covered with blood in the corner. The culprits were two tall boys of undeterminable age.

          "What the hell are you doing?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest. The boys looked at me and scowled.

          "Stay out of this little girl," They snapped.

          Little? Now they were asking for it. Perhaps I had to make examples out of them. Well…that was no problem.

          "My, you must think your tough by hitting a young girl like that," I said, keeping my voice low.

          The boy with silver feathers laughed and threw a punch at me. I caught it easily and jumped backwards. In one fluid motion, I launched my right foot into his groan. The silver haired boy fell to his knees with a moan.

          "Oh my, I hope I didn't make it hard for you to hurt me. So…are you going to leave the girl alone?"

          I kept plenty of sarcasm in my voice, determined to humiliate the child.

          "Never!" The silver haired child hissed.

          "Careful brother, that's Kirika Tribal, Kuja's daughter."

          The boy looked up at me in horror and vanished in thin air. Wait…vanished? I blinked and rubbed my head. I need sleep, I thought as I turned to face the girl. She was on her feet and supported by a tall guy dressed completely in black. The guy's skin was pale, but not as pale as Kuja and I and his hair seemed to be manifested of shadows. I couldn't help but stare; I haven't seen his type before.

          "Excuse me, but is that girl—"

          The man stared at me with light blue eyes.

          "Yes and I suppose you was the one who made the bullies run away."

          I blushed softly.

          "Um…I didn't…I mean, I just happened to be passing by."

          "Well, thank you. I suppose we'll be seeing each other again."

          He touched my chin and departed with the little girl in tow.

Alexandria Castle

Kuja:

          I pushed the half closed doors to Kirika further open and noticed that she wasn't in there and her window was open. I prayed she wasn't outside during this hour. After all, that's why I put the new security plan up. I growled and walked back into my room. No one ever listened to me when it came to safety.

          "Oh, really? I happen to listen just fine."

          I lit the candle on my bedside table with a small fire spell and noticed Kirika's thin form on my ceiling.

          "How long have you been up there?" I asked, running a small brush through the non-feathery parts of my hair.

          "About two minutes," Kirika muttered.

          "Restless?"

          "Hardly. So what happened in the meeting?"

          "Oh, just a small disturbance at Black Mage Village."

          Actually, the 'disturbance' was a small sighting of Garland. It didn't take much to figure out why Garland was popping up around that area. And Zidane hadn't heard much from Mikoto lately. And since Kirei was with us now, it was hard for not to be suspicious of Mikoto.

          "I'm pretty sure you know what this means," Kirika said thoughtfully.

          "You sound worried," I commented.

          She jumped down from the ceiling and down onto the floor gently.

          "Newer powers stimulate woes," She whispered as she walked out of the room.

          Good point. But for your sake daughter, I pray you won't have to deal with those woes.

Midnight

Kirika:

          A small whine combined with a growl assaulted my ears, jarring me awake somewhat.

          "Enough, Amaranthine," I snapped, pushing the dragon away with my hand.

          Two heavy paws landed on the bed with such force that I flew out of my bed. I landed on the mattress roughly, jarring the sleep from my head.

          "Fine, I'll get you something to eat, just leave me alone afterwards."

          I got out of my bed and stormed to the door. The moment I opened it, Amaranthine bounded through and went to Kuja's door. By now, crankiness had settled in and I considered going back to sleep with the door locked. But something seemed wrong about this situation. Kuja's door was always open a little at night. That way, Silver could come in to get Amaranthine easily. Strange…

          I opened Kuja's door softly, knowing how light a sleeper he was. A shadowy form was hovering above Kuja's head, brandishing a knife. Ignoring Amaranthine's warning growl. I broke into a run and ran into the figure, sending us both through Kuja's large window. Wind whipped around my body, giving me some sort of unnatural high. However, I knew very well that I could die if I didn't react soon. I threw my hand behind me and balled it into a fist. A long staff appeared in my hand and I twirled it around, quickly uttering the words to a float spell.

          The figure and I stopped just inches away from the street's surface. I blinked and landed in the street calmly.

          "Who are you and why do you have me out in the street barefoot?" I snapped.

          The figure got up and pulled the mask off of its face. It was now a girl with jet-black hair and cold silver eyes. She curled her lips up into a snarl at the sight of me.

          "My name is not of your concern. However, I will tell you that I will kill you on behalf of the Black Tail!"

          I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip on the staff. I would give this idiot a run for her money if she were going to cut my life short.

          "Draw your sword then!" I shouted, pulling the end of my staff off, revealing a long diamond-studded blade. (A/N: Ah, people should like be afraid of me. I can hide weapons in anything.)

          I threw the other half away and twirled my blade calmly, getting used to its weight all over again. The girl settled into a battle stance, without a weapon. Good, all the fun for me! I eased closer, swinging my sword over my head swiftly towards her. The girl leaned back out of the sword's reach and launched her foot at my stomach. I blocked it with my left arm and shoved it away. I stabbed at her quickly with my sword, attempting to end this quickly. The girl spun away quickly and kicked me away. Since I was barefoot, it was hard for me to stay on my feet, especially in situations like this, so I fell backwards. The girl closed in instantly, and grabbed my sword, a sick smirk on her lips. I kept any signs of doubt off of my face and stayed calm. Energy was how building up within my body as a result of the Iifa's demands.

          "Giving up?" The girl asked.

          "I don't think so. Flare Star!"

          Tendrils of flames rocketed away from behind my body and slammed into the girl, making her drop my sword on the ground. I turned around and caught sight of Kuja in his nightly robes and with an unpleasant smile on his face.

          "The Black Tail will get you yet, Kirika Tribal!"

          I found that hilarious for some odd reason. Maybe it was because I knew that statement was an empty threat. The girl hissed and ran away, leaving us with a glimpse of a silver tail.

          "A…Genome?" Kuja asked.

          I shrugged.

          "I don't know. But I guess she is," I answered.

          "Great, now I have yet another Genome after me."

          I laughed.

          "No, the girl is after me, not you, Kuja. You have nothing to worry about."

          Kuja snorted and started back into the castle.

          "Like hell, I don't."


	3. An Unexpected Visit

Author's Note: Please review…or I will stop work on both fanfictions for a while.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 2-An Unexpected Visit

Alexandria Castle

Early Morning

Kirika:

          I had over a thousand bandages all over my body, due to the fact that I did jump through a window. But that was the least of my concern for right now, we had higher things on our hands. Like the female genome last night. The most we knew about her was that she was a genome and she belonged to a group called the Black Tail.

          "We can't exclude Garland," Kuja snapped.

          I couldn't blame him for being irritable. After all, once the genome left we never really slept. Thanks to Amaranthine, I had lost more than a couple hours of sleep. I had lost my patience and that was not a good thing.

          "We know that Garland may be behind this, Kuja. But we aren't exactly in the shape to do anything," Zidane snapped.

          I sighed as Zidane and Kuja looks that surely promised death.

          "Enough! Look, it's best that we all go to bed and rest for a couple of hours!" Garnet shouted.

          You don't have to tell me twice, I thought as I stormed out of the room. There was the sound of chairs being thrown and random shouts from the door behind me. I shook my head and sighed, wondering how long this sleep depravation chain would last. I walked in my room and slammed the door behind me, making sure Amaranthine could not get in. I loved my dragon, but enough was enough. She was Kuja's problem now.

Black Mage Village

Mikoto:

          The containers were glowing a bright purple color, which illuminated the surrounding hallways. Kirika's energy was keeping my precious little children alive. And whom did I have to thank? Garland. I shuddered at the name. The fact that he came back annoyed me to death. This was my show, not his and I was determined to make him realize that. Killing him permanently would be difficult, seeing as he suddenly came back after Kuja killed him. I would just have to wait until another chance came up. But now, I wasn't sure how long I had to wait…

(A/N: New point of view!) Myou:

          "Big brother!" I glared at my little sister, Nat and sighed.

          "What is it this time?" I asked.

          I wasn't really upset or annoyed with Nat, it was just that I was worried. Worried about nothing in particular, but worried.

          "I think something is wrong with the girl we met the other day."

          That girl we met yesterday…

          "Trouble?"

          Nat nodded. It seemed to me that girl, Kirika Tribal, could handle herself quite well. Yet still, when Nat said there was something wrong, there was something wrong. My sister was a bit of a psychic at times.

          "Well, I suppose we could make a trip to Alexandria."

Two Hours Later

Kirika:

          After two hours, I succeeded in getting a small amount of sleep. However, that was my fault. Funny how the body decides to toy with you. I laughed dryly to myself and lifted the small mug of tea off of my bedside table. I took a sip out of it and sighed. The brew was especially designed to soothe my throat. All it did was wake me up. Oh joy. A series of random scratching at my door made me up.

          "What is it, Amaranthine?" I asked, my voice taking a low undertone.

          The scratching grew persistent. I growled and opened the door slowly. Amaranthine poked her head in the door and sniffed at my legs.

          'Mommy?'

          I narrowed my eyes at my pet dragon and opened the doors wider. She padded in and I noticed the letter tied to her tail. Someone is a sad excuse of a messenger, I thought as I pluck it off. The letter was blue in color and it was lightly scented. I opened it with my index finger and read over it. Someone has arranged a meeting with me. How nice. Hmm…I may as well accept the invitation. Amaranthine sniffed my hand softly and padded out of the room.

          "I'll see you downstairs, Amaranthine," I whispered after her and closed the doors.

          I opened the doors to my closet and pushed the clothes in there aside to reveal my two piece (belly dancer like) suit. It was perfect for the weather outside and besides…I want to look good don't I?

Kuja:

          I sat out amongst the tiles that lined Alexandria Castle and gazed out at the city longingly. It was hard to think of Alexandria as my home, due to the fact that I helped and or participated in destroying it countless times. So many lives were destroyed and those who survived loathed me. Nothing Zidane and Garnet could do could stop it either. After a while, I had to wonder whether my life was really worth living. The ridicule…and self-doubt…what could I do? Thanks to Garland, my life got a bit more hellish minute by minute. I needed to die…but who would let me?

          "Kuja."

          I turned around only to see Kirei's soft pale blue eyes peering at me. She looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep herself, but I knew better.

          "What is it, Kirei?"

          "Have you heard of dark trance?"

          Ah…dark trance…the result when a mage gains too much darkness in the heart.

          "That isn't happened to anyone, so why worry?" I muttered.

          "You never know, Kuja. You never know."

Kirika:

          "Come play Double Dutch with us, Kirika!"

          I blinked and glanced at the children with the jump ropes idly. Should I go play with them for a while? After all, I had just a few minutes before my scheduled meeting.

          "Sure! Start turning the ropes!"

          I watched carefully as the children giggled and started turning the ropes. I inched forward slowly, starting a new rhythm in my head. The moment the first rope lifted into the air, I jumped in and started jumping. After a few minutes of jumping, I waved to the girl on the right and mouthed the word 'Stop!'

          "Are you Lady Kirika Tribal?"

          I turned around and smoothed my hair back only to see the guy I saw last evening and his sister.

          "Yes, yes I am," I said, bowing respectfully.

          "No need for that, Kirika. I am Myou and I'm pretty sure you remember Nat."

          I nodded and smiled softly.

          "Of course I do."

Mikoto:

          Garland and I stood in the fields before the city of Alexandria. I wasn't really sure why we were down here, but I knew it had something to do with Kirika.

          "Black Tail, front and center," Garland shouted.

          Five cloaked figures walked up from behind the airship and filed in front of me.

          "Mikoto, meet the Black Tail."

          The five cloaked figures took off their hoods and smirked. They were all female and they had the addition of cat ears on their heads.

          "Pleased to meet you," The one in the front said. I turned to face Garland with a smirk.

          "Why are they here?" I asked.

          "Black Tail, give them, I mean Alexandria, a taste of your power!"

          The five genomes turned to face Alexandria and lifted their hands up into the air. Black mist poured out of their fingers and out on the field. It swirled up into the sky and formed into a swirling mist-like smoke.

          "You realize this could backfire," I said carefully, keeping the amusement out of my voice.

          "I am aware. But by the time Kirika realizes it, we'll have over half of her power sapped away."

          I doubt it will be that easily, Garland.

Kirika:

          The children had started up another game of jump rope as Myou and I talked the afternoon away. We had so much in common, I couldn't believe it! However, I could feel the Iifa roots under Alexandria stirring in discomfort and that meant trouble. The feeling of discomfort only grew as the moments went by and then the courtyard grew silent. I glanced around calmly and noticed that the adults on the back of the main street had dropped dead. There was a cloud of mist hanging around them. Wait…mist?

          "Everyone, go to the castle! Hurry!" I shouted.

          A few people broke out into a run, but the rest stayed. It was then that another person collapsed and the plaza broke out in universal panic. I rolled my eyes and pointed towards the double doors ahead. Once everyone had been accounted for, I took in a deep gulp of air. Bad mistake. My insides began to burn and both of my wrists throbbed. I struggled to stay on my feet, but to no avail. Whatever this mist was, it kept we weaker than normal.

          "Snap out of it, Kirika!"

          A rough hand grabbed me and dragged me down the street. Fresh air hit my nose, wiping away the burning sensation. Myou's face came into view immediately.

          "Do you know another way to the castle?" I nodded, trying to clear my head for thought.

          "Yes, give me a second," I answered while glanced around.

          I took off running northward and around one corner to the lakeside. The boat was way too slow to make it to Alexandria Castle, plus the mist seemed to be gaining speed.

          "What now?" Myou asked.

          I rubbed my chin and touched the whistle around my neck. I didn't have much energy left, thanks to the mist.

          "Silver!" I shouted and blew the whistle.

          There was no answer.

          "Come on damn you," I hissed.

          I blew into the whistle again. This time, there was an answering dragon call and a rushing of wind that parted the lake. Myou ran in front of me with Nat in his strong arms, not wanting to take a chance against the mist. The moment I stepped into the lakebed, a stab of pain shot right through my chest. I stumbled and pushed the wave of dizziness down as I ran through the riverbed. Almost there, Kirika. You can make it without the Life Crystal. Come on, damnit, come on! But my egging was in vain. Halfway across the lakebed, another stab of pain sent me to the ground.

          'Don't let the darkness get you, child.'

          "Darkness? What darkness?"

          'It is coming, Kirika. Are you ready, child of the Iifa?'

          There was another burning sensation in my chest, making me scream. The image of a little girl swam in front of my vision and I saw no more.


	4. The Big Lindblum Ball

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reviewing! I feel so loved! Enjoy!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 3-The Big Lindblum Ball

Alexandria Castle

Kuja:

          I paced around the entrance to the Airship hanger on the tenth floor slowly. Kirika was still out in that mist and she wasn't answering her cell phone. If she would have died…

          "Kuja!"

          I turned to face Kirei with a frown.

          "What is it?"

          "Everyone has been safely loaded into the Invincible. We are ready to go on your word."

          My word…huh?

          "Let us go."

          Kirei seemed to hesitate for a moment before walking down the hallway. I was counting on Kirika to show up before we absolutely had to leave. I started down the hallway after Kirei and crossed into the indoor airship dock.

          "Wait!"

          I turned around sharply, only to see a limp Kirika in a man's arms.

          "How did you…" I trailed off.

          "I'll tell you while were in the ship."

Invincible:

          The moment we began to enter the Invincible, the ground shook violently under our feet. I fell to the bottom of the walkway and groaned. Now what? The man and Kirika fell beside me roughly and that was when I noticed Kirika's face. There was the pale outline of vines spread all over her face and they appeared to be glowing.

          "Damned…the roots of Iifa are out of control."

Kirika:

          I found myself in a blue field surrounded by strange and distorted trees. There seemed to be no sky to this land; there was only blue light. Somehow, it seemed quite comforting to me. I had to wonder if this was the 'Terra' Kuja talked about all the time.

          "Is this the first time you have seen this land?"

          I turned around and saw a little girl with dirty blonde hair dressed in a blue jumpsuit.

          "Um…yeah," I whispered.

          "Are you afraid, child of Iifa?"

          "Child of Iifa…?"

          The girl smiled and spread her arms out wide.

          "The Iifa connects Terra to Gaia. Even now, the destroyed Iifa still breathes life into Terra."

          She pointed to the mark on my chest and smiled.

          "You are that life. Garland's trying to steal it from you."

          "Is that why I felt the pain earlier?" I asked.

          The girl smiled.

          "I can't tell you exactly."

          _Kirika! The Iifa Roots are out of control!_

          I blinked and glanced upward. The girl giggled.

          "Your father needs help, child of Iifa. Go back and awaken!"

Kuja:

          Kirika's body jerked violently and sat up, gingerly. I got to my feet and helped her up. She groaned and smoothed her hair back. The rumblings underneath the castle ceased instantly as she did so. I touched her shoulder, looking her over calmly.

          "Kirika, are you ok?" The man asked.

          "Invincible, voice recognition pattern theta," Kirika muttered, motioning for us to go inside.

          "Welcome Lady Kirika," chimed the Invincible.

Kirika:

          I smirked and strode up to the cockpit quickly. I was a bit dizzy from the after effects of the poison gas, but I had to fly the Invincible.

          "Invincible, power up engines one and two and begin dock exiting sequence," I ordered as I stepped onto the circle pod that served as the Invincible's steering controls and sighed.

          Chaos seemed to be Alexandria's middle name lately, which was now proved by the coming of the poison mist. I guess more lives were sacrificed for our safety and Garland's greed. The girl in my dreams said that he was sapping the life from me. But that would take away the life from Terra. I rested my hand on my chest softly, knowing the vine-covered birthmark lay under it. I had the heart of the Iifa within me…or more or less, I was the heart of the Iifa. I would go so far as to say I was Iifa's child. I felt a small rumble and then the small turning of the ship northward.

          "Invincible, set a course for Neo Lindblum."

Two Hours Later

Neo Lindblum

Kirika:

          I breathed in Neo Lindblum's fresh air and grinned softly. It felt good to be back on solid ground again and without someone's help. The citizens of Alexandria thought I suffered from some injury made several offers to carry me out of the Invincible. I admit it was kind and sweet, but I didn't need the help. I sat outside the door leading to the airship dock, waiting for the others to gather. I had sent word for Melinda about an hour ago, so it was just a waiting game for me.

          "Thank goodness your alive, Kirika!"

          Speak of the devil. I turned around and got a big hug from my sister. I didn't bother to struggle due to the fact that Melinda only squeezed tighter if I dared to do so.

          "I told you that I was ok earlier, Melinda," I said softly.

          Melinda let me up slowly and nodded.

          "You know that I have a hard time believing you."

          "Melinda, do you have enough room for my people?" Zidane asked.

          I knew that Zidane was going to mention our housing problem sooner or later.

          "Of course I do. Let me go show you the area."

          And with that, the others left, leaving Kuja and me alone in the hallway.

          "You are bothered about something aren't you?"

          I glanced at my father through the corner of my eye. I really wasn't in the mood to talk about my weird dreams or about the Iifa's strange reaction. But, as always with Kuja, I had no choice.

          "I'm just a little dizzy from my exposure to the gas, that's all," I answered.

          "Ah, but there is something more to it, isn't there?"

          "I saw Terra in my dreams, Kuja."

          Kuja's expression seemed to darken at my voice. There was fear hidden behind those beautiful blue eyes. What he was fearing exactly, I wasn't sure.

          "Hmm…a sign."

          "A sign?"

          Kuja shook his head.

          "Don't worry about it. I'm going now. Wait for Melinda, understand?"

          Why was he avoiding the subject about Terra?

          "Father, I wanted to tell you about—"

          "Enough, Kirika."

          Kuja stormed off down the hallway disappearing from sight. I blinked and shook my head slowly. I doubted I would be hearing from Kuja in a while, especially if his mood stayed like this.

Kuja:

          I slammed the door to my study hard and locked it. I let a sigh of relief and moved to the windows on the other side. Kirika had a dream about Terra. What was the cause of it now? The poison gas? The Iifa? I didn't want her to go through it yet. At least, I wished. Now she knew that Garland was sapping energy from her. And maybe, she knew the secret behind her and Iifa's roots. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my silver hair. I wanted my daughter to stay as innocent as possible, but that wish wasn't going to be fulfilled now. I was back at square one and now I had to second guess Garland to get back on top.

          Since he had flushed me out of Alexandria, he had the advantage. And now, I had to wonder what Mikoto was up to. I pushed my windows open and whistled loudly. The rush of beating wings sounded and then Silver's mighty head appeared in my window. I reached out and stroked her head lovingly, getting the idea of travel in my head. (A/N: Silver's thoughts are in italics.)

          "Silver, let's go to Burmecia. I have some business to attend to there," I muttered while climbing out of the window and onto her back.

          _But Kuja…our presence will not be welcome there._

          "I am aware of that, but my precious documents are in that estate, Silver."

          _I understand._

Burmecia:

          The moment I stepped into town, everyone stared at me. Some people growled and made gestures while the others gazed. For some mysterious reason, I wanted to laugh and scream in their faces, but that madness was far behind me. Now I was content to wallow in their stares and jeers. In other words, I had changed, but not that much.

          "Come, Silver," I said, easily walking through the path the stunned people made.

          I could tell by the clicking pattern on the tiles that Silver was following me slowly. I had a feeling that she would have a word about my actions later. I wonder what my punishment will be this time. Hmm…perhaps mauling? (A/N: For those who are wondering, Silver isn't bloodthirsty or anything, she's just motherly. And mauling is just like spanking.)

          "Kuja, what in the nine hells are you doing?"

          I blinked and found myself face to face with Freya, Burmecia's only dragon knight with seemingly nine lives. Why do I say that? Well, you go ahead and count how many times I've tried to kill her.

          "Well, let's see, I'm walking through the square, minding my own business and trying to get to my estate," I said softly.

          "You have a lot of nerve, Kuja. You could have been killed on sight."

          I shrugged and pushed past her softly.

          "And you think I'm afraid of death? I mean, it has been pretty pissed at me lately. But still, do you?" I asked.

          "You are a strange man, Kuja," Freya commented.

          "I know."

          I pushed open the iron gates in front of me and found myself on the grounds of my Burmecian estate. I walked up the front path quickly, knowing that I had a certain time limit before anyone would miss me. I opened the front door and walked inside, leaving it open for Silver to guard.

          "Kuja, wait."

          I turned around and frowned at Freya.

          "Are you here to tell me anything else?" I asked, while picking up a stack of papers from a nearby table.

          "No, I'm just curious. What is the real reason for you being here?"

          "Alexandria was attacked by Garland earlier. He used a poison mist to flush us out," I muttered while looking through the stack.

          "How did Garland come back? I thought he was dead."

          I smiled softly.

          "That's just the thing. We all thought he was until a couple years ago."

          I sat the rest of the stack down and gazed at the smaller stack I now had. At the top of the papers read, 'Kuja's Theory'. Just what I was looking for, I thought with a devilish grin.

          "What is supporting him?" Freya asked.

          "Kirika is, I suppose. There is no real way to prove it right now," I lied.

          I knew exactly what was supporting Garland. True, in a sense it really was Kirika, but there had to be something else he was clinging to Gaia for. And maybe, my theory provided the answers I needed.

Neo Lindblum Grand Castle

Kirika:

          I was in the most relaxing bath water in all of Gaia and it felt great! It helped me feel much better, especially from the aftermath the poison gas had on my body.

          "I told you it would make you feel better."

          I glared at Melinda, who was standing in the space behind the bathtub. She was supposed to be performing her royal duties, but instead, she wanted to play bath servant to me. How embarrassing.

          "I don't need you here, Melinda," I muttered.

          Right now, my throat was content with giving me trouble. I guess that within a few hours, my voice would be completely gone.

          "Nonsense. I have to get you prepared for the Lindblum Ball tonight."

          Great, more stress. I wasn't sure what I liked more: the poison gas or the stress of ballroom dancing. Melinda gingerly lifted my hair out of the water and wrapped it in a soft towel.

          "I promise nothing will go wrong, Kirika. So…do you have a date for the ball?"

          A date?

          "No, of course not," I answered nervously.

          "Well, do you have someone you like?"

          Sure, that was Myou. But…he didn't like me like that.

          "Ooh! It's a cute boy named Myou? That's just excellent, Kirika!"

          I blushed and groaned. I forgot Melinda was a psychic. Melinda laughed and held out a terry cloth blue robe. I took this as my cue to get out of the two, and I did so. Melinda waited until I had my robe safely secured before opening the door.

          "I'm going to show you your dress and then I have to leave you down there to take care of important matters. Is that ok with you?"

          I nodded and followed her down the hallway and into a room with double doors sealing it off. The room was filled with dresses of all kinds, from ballroom to casual.

          "They are all so beautiful," I whispered.

          Melinda smiled and took a dress down from the wall. It was lavender with small feathers lining the sleeves and where the dressed opened in the front. She sat it down across a small chair and took something else down from the wall.

          "These are the sleeves."

          The ends were lined with small feathers that seemed to shine all on their own. (A/N: The sleeves are kimono-like and the idea for this dress came from Yuna's wedding dress in FFX and from a dress I saw in a catalog somewhere weird, huh?)

          "Ah, Melinda, good to see you!"

          A small dwarf walked up to us, wearing a huge smile on its face.

          "Good timing, Mae. Listen, could you get my sister in her dress while I take care of other matters?" Melinda asked.

          "Sure."

          And with that, she left.

          "You are a lucky girl, Kirika. Most people would kill to wear this dress," Mae commented.

          "I don't feel so lucky," I muttered.

          Mae laughed and took me in the back of the room. Moments later, I had the beautiful lavender dress on. And for a moment, I felt as beautiful as it was.

          "This is some guy's lucky day isn't it?"

          Yeah…Myou's.

Kuja:

          I had just crawled through the study's window when a knock came at the door. I waved at Silver, which was basically the sign for 'hunt and rest' and unlocked the door. It swung open and I found myself face to face with Kirei. She yawned and pushed her way in.

          "You look tired," I commented.

          "You look guilty."

          Ha…nice one, Kirei.

          "So, what are you up here for?" I asked.

          "Melinda, sent me up here to remind you about the ball. Remember, you have that part with Kirika in the opening dance."

          Ah, yes. Although I really, really didn't want to wear a suit and tie, I owed it to Kirika. Damn my luck…

          "Tell Melinda that I'll be ready in a few minutes," I muttered.

          "Sure."

          And with that, Kirei left. I glanced the stack of papers I brought back and headed to the guest wing. So much for looking at my theory.

The Beginning of the Ball

Kirika:

          Having a veil over my face wasn't exactly fun, but thankfully, it did nothing to my eyesight. I stood out in the middle of the ballroom floor with the other dancers and stared at the guys chosen to dance with them. I knew that Garnet and Zidane were somewhere in the lineup, for the guys had to wear masks to cover their faces. Maybe that was why Kuja was so irritable.

          "I don't believe this!"

          Nah, maybe it was the appearance of his tail that bothered him so.

          "Is everyone ready?" Melinda asked.

          "I doubt nothing will stop us now," I commented.

          "Follow me then."

          She separated from her partner and twirled away lightly. I followed her motions carefully, tailoring each move to my ability. Dancing in hells was a bit hard to do, even though I had walked in them for most of my life. I barely noticed the other's movements as Melinda and I started into our own technical patterns. I slid to my left and held my hands up to the sky and began my own special dance that started with my hips on down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Musouka motioning for us to wrap up the dance. I ran slowly back to Kuja and accepted his out stretched hand. He promptly lifted me into the air gently and spun me around. I held back a small giggle as he sat me back down to the glassy floor. And then, it was over just like that. Melinda grabbed and dragged me out of the ballroom quickly. I took off my veil and blinked as she fished some makeup out of her purse.

          "I can't let you see Myou without the finishing touches on," She said excitedly.

          I bit my lip softly and let her put on whatever one wanted on. When she was finished, she held a mirror up.

          "Like it?"

          The face I saw in the mirror was different…and beautiful. I had never looked so beautiful in my life.

          "Thank you, Melinda," I whispered.

          Melinda grinned and opened the door to the ballroom.

          "He's on the outside balcony."

          I took a deep breath and walked inside. People stared at me as I walked past with hopeful smiles on their faces. I opened the door ahead and walked out.

          "Hey there."

          I stopped myself from blushing and looked at Myou's face.

          "Long time no see," I said as calmly as I could.

          "You look absolutely beautiful, tonight."

          "You mean it?"

          Myou put his arm around my waist and brought me to the edge of the platform.

          "Of course I do. You are quite beautiful, Kirika."

          We sat in silence for a few moments before he turned to face me.

          "I owe you this…"

          He reached down and kissed me softly on the lips. I blinked, not knowing how to react to it. When he had leaned away, I let out a small sigh.

          "I a-apologize. I didn't mean to—"

          "No, it's not that! I mean…please don't be sorry," I whispered.

          Myou chuckled softly and turned his gaze out to the horizon.

          "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" He asked.

          "Yeah. I don't have too many men flocking for my attention. I am a genome after all."

          "They are fools for not seeing your true beauty. You are a rare find, Kirika. A rare find."

          "I heard you saved me from the gas today. I am deep within your debt," I muttered.

          Myou shook his head.

          "You saved me, or at least the Iifa roots did. After you passed out, they just formed some kind of airtight seal around us."

          Heh, they protected the child of the Iifa, that's all. I smiled.

          "Kiss me again, please."

          "Gladly."

Author's Note: Hmm…I know it seems like I jump point of views a lot. Sorry about that. Also, there is a variation between poison gas and mist, another apology. And this is the one chapter I get to play around with. The rest include action, action and more action!


	5. Nightmare

Author's Note: Woo…Kirika gets to act like Carrie…almost. Sorry for the delay people. This chapter was actually ready on Friday. For those who are actually reading, this chapter will sound weird.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 4-Nightmare

Neo Lindblum Grand Castle

Shortly after Midnight

Kuja:

          The evening after the Lindblum ball was quiet and peaceful. Neo Lindblum reminded me a lot of Alexandria, perhaps maybe too much. I had to admit I missed that city and its many pleasures. Lindblum just reminded me of darker things like the discovery of Kirika. Well…not dark. I sat in the soft light of my room and thumbed through my theory. If it were correct, then a strange event would occur tonight. If it was like what happened to Alexandria, we could kiss our asses goodbye. Silver snorted and turned her nuzzle up to me.

          'Kuja, go to bed.'

          "Patience goes a long way, Silver," I said calmly.

          'Patience is for awake people.'

          I stifled a laugh and set my papers aside.

          "I'll turn off the light, but I won't go to sleep quite yet."

          'You'll be irritable in the morning.'

          I reached over and turned the light off with a grin.

          "I'm always irritable."

Kirika:

          I couldn't sleep now matter how much I tried. Something felt wrong within the castle and it kept Amaranthine wide awake, which in turn, kept me up.

          "Ugh, Amaranthine, you are being stubborn. Just let me sleep," I snapped, easing back under my bed sheets.

          Amaranthine whined and yanked the sheets off of my bed again. I started to hit her, but I thought the better of it. Maybe she was just scared and she needed a little milk to help her settle down. After all, she was just a child.

          "All right, you win," I said softly as I got out of bed.

          I stroked Amaranthine's head and went to the door. I twisted the knob easily and threw it open. (A/N: Have you ever played Silent Hill 3? Well, if you have, you are familiar with the level layout. For example, Normal Shopping Mall and Dark, Corrupted, Rusty, Shopping Mall level. I'm using it in the Lindblum Castle's description. It's just my way of being creative.) The hallway was dark, no—pitch black as far as the eyes could see. And it was the silence…the dead silence that tortured me.

          "What happened here?" I whispered, stepping out into the hall. Amaranthine bounded past me with a growl and disappeared into the darkness. I started to call after her, but I knew better. Amaranthine would come back in time. In the meantime, I had to focus on feeling around the hallway. I moved further around the hallway to the best of my ability until I began to hear music. Music? I strained my ears, trying to at least identify the tune.

          "Kirika…"

          I turned around sharply, hoping to see what was calling my name. Nothing was there. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the dim outline of a light behind a rust covered door. The music grew louder and the air grew colder immediately. I was not going to be afraid. This was probably my body playing a trick on me. And yet, why did it feel so real? I approached the door and pushed it open. I found myself in another dark room with the outline of some kind of statue. The music grew deafening, but there was also the undertone of an inhuman growl.

          "I knew this would lure you out."

          I blinked and glanced all around me, but sadly, that was in vain.

          "Who are you and why are you doing this?"

          All of a sudden, the room exploded with light and I saw a figure dressed in black. I somehow recognized her as the female genome that tried to attack Kuja a few days ago.

          "See, I told you I would be back."

          "But why?" I asked, realizing I was in no shape to use magic.

          The female genome held her hand out and up into the air. A strange purplish mist shot up from the ground, blinding and burning every part of my body that wasn't covered. It was poison! Probably paralyzing poison. After the mist faded away, the female genome was kneeling down right next to me with an evil grin on her face. I tried to at least push her away, but my muscles had locked up painfully.

          "Trust me, you won't survive this encounter."

Kuja:

          A loud scream shook me out of my meditative state and made me sit upright quickly.

          'What is that?'

          "I don't know, Silver. But it sounded a lot like Kirika."

          That wasn't what I needed to say or to think. Kirika's energy hasn't recovered itself since the entire poison gas incident. That was not good. I got out of my bed and slipped my plush robe on.

          "I'm going to go check on Kirika. Go find Amaranthine," I whispered, heading out of my door.

          The hallway was dimly lit and silent, but I couldn't help but feel like I was missing one important detail. It was then that I noticed a small stream of blood snaking out from under Kirika's door.

          "Kirika!" I shouted as I threw myself at her door.

          It wouldn't budge.

          "Silver, wake everyone else up!"

Kirika:

          Was that the voice of my father? I let out a scream of agony as I was launched halfway across the room. I was already in sorry shape from the kicking and the beating the genome had given me. This wasn't fair…I couldn't defend myself at all.

          "Have you given up yet?"

          I closed my eyes and focused on the muscles that had locked up. The sound of footsteps picked up again and I knew I had to work faster to free myself. I felt a kick to my ribs and groaned. Come on, Kirika, remember! I felt myself being lifted off of the ground and screamed out the one word I knew would cure me: 'Esuna!'. I suddenly fell to the floor again, this time much harder than before and was surrounded by darkness.

          "Come on, Kirika! I know you can fight back!"

          There was an evil giggle and then the opening of a nearby door. Moonlight poured in the doorway illuminating half of the room. I had no choice but to continue through that door. I had no one with me, not even Amaranthine. And even though I freed my muscles, there was still some regular poison in my system. I wouldn't last without help. I got to my feet and walked to the door. In front of me was the crosswalk to the Airship complex. What luck…

Kuja:

          The interior of the hallway had changed again, this time it was bloody and rust was everywhere. So far, the only people that was awake was me, Kirei and Melinda.

          "I don't understand how the hallway could have changed. It was normal just a few seconds ago," Melinda pointed out.

          "Kirika's blood was oozing from under that door. So apparently, she's trapped in the same weird universe we're in," I said softly.

          I didn't want to tell the others about the pain I felt through that door earlier.

          "How do we get her out of it?" Kirei asked.

          "We have to find her first."

          'I think I've seen her on the crosswalk separating Lindblum castle from the Airship dock.'

          Silver?

          "Guys, Silver just told me that she last saw Kirika on the crosswalk."

          "But how do we get there?" Melinda asked.

          Good question. The entire layout of castle had changed a lot since we've been out. But wait…what about Kirika's door?

          "Kirika's door points the way," I whispered.

Kirika:

          I was halfway across the airship crosswalk when my legs began to ache. Well, that was it; I was dragging my dead weight. The wind whistled past my ears blowing my hair into my face, nearly blinding me. I stumbled somewhat and collapsed onto the tiles. Where was that genome? I know she was watching me somewhere out there, waiting until I was completely weakened. A loud snap sounded and there was a shudder under my body. I had to get off this damned thing and quick.

          "Amaranthine! Help me! Please!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

          The shuddering grew violent and I saw the opposite end of the crosswalk cave in. It was like a domino effect, that's how perfectly it fell. I started to edge away with my available strength, but that didn't do much. The collapsing bridge caught up with my body and I found myself falling. A dragon call sounded and then I hit something solid and feathery.

          'Be easy, Mommy. Amaranthine is here!'

          I have never been so glad to see my pet dragon in all of my life.

          "Thanks so much, Amaranthine! But how did you know where to find me?"

          'Mommy, told me.'

          Yes, that was an excellent question Kirika. Why did you ask her that again? Of course, I knew what she was talking about, but still…

          "Flare Star!"

          The shout seemed to come out of nowhere. A ball of fire shot down from above, headed directly for Amaranthine's wing. I held my arms out and pushed energy out of them to form half of a shield. It materialized instantly, knocking the fire away from the wing, but in turn, it made me dizzy.

          "Amaranthine, let's hurry and get out of here. We can't afford any more hits," I whispered.

          My throat hurt terribly from the entire ordeal within the castle and I didn't have my whistle. I was running out of hope for survival now, and that wasn't good.

          "Are you afraid, Kirika?"

          "No, never!" I hissed, trying to stay as quiet as I could.

          Amaranthine swooped down and swerved around the corner until we were flying directly above the cathedral of Lindblum.

          "Goodbye child of Iifa."

          The sky darkened above my head and thunder sounded loudly. My eyes widened at the possibly of spells this could mean and I crossed my arms in front of my chest defensively. Two lightning bolts shot down from the sky; one shattering the shield I made, and the second striking me directly in the chest. I screamed loudly as my body flailed about from the discharge of electricity. It was then that several other bolts crashed down on Amaranthine's thin body, knocking her out of the air.

Kuja:

          By the time we reached the crosswalk, it was too late to get a hold of Kirika. Not only that, but we were forced to watch helplessly as Amaranthine fell through the cathedral's roof.

          "Sister!" Melinda shrieked loudly.

          I knew my daughter wasn't dead. I hated to say it…but I prayed that she wasn't fatally injured in the falling of her pet dragon.

          "Silver, get us over there!" I ordered.

          I heard Silver's audible growl of pain and then the swoosh of wings. I doubted she would listen to me now, the grief for her daughter was too great. Now how are we going to get over there? Oh, Melinda's a psychic! Maybe.

          "Melinda can you teleport us over there?" I asked.

          "Maybe…but it will take some time."

          Time was not on our side right now.

Kirika:

          I awoke to the sound of dragonish wails and the rapid beating of my own heart in my ear. What just happened? I had to struggle to remember what happened after being struck by light. Speaking of which, Amaranthine was hit too. I lifted my head off of the floor and tried my best to look around for my pet dragon. I could only see the outline of her tail, but not her face. In other words, I had no idea where exactly my dragon was.

          "Amaranthine…" I choked out.

          There was a weak whine off to my left and then nothing more. I hoped the lightning bolts did nothing more but scorch her. She was still a very young dragon and she wasn't used to magic being thrown at her.

          "Ah, she lives."

          I recoiled at the sound of the voice. Somehow, I just knew it belonged to the genome that landed us here in the first place.

          "What is your name?" I asked, struggling to curl my body into a small ball.

          The genome grabbed my hair and pulled my head up to face her.

          "I owe you at least that, don't I?"

          I kept silent.

          "Kalani of the Black Tail. And your time is up."

          Kalani pointed her finger at my chest and smirked. Energy was brimming up on the tip of her finger, burning my skin. It was over. My life…my spirit…

          "Pulsar Cannon!"

          My breath caught in my throat as a blinding flash of light occurred. (A/N: Before I continue, I must let you know that the next scene will be based off of Carrie (whichever one you want to think of. All of them include that famous destruction scene.) Also, the next scene will be written in third person, hence normal. It may sound a little weird since I hate writing in third person.)

Normal (Third) Point of View:

          The beam went through Kirika's chest and into the marble floor, shattering some of it. Kalani smiled in triumph and pushed her limp body away roughly. Her deed was done and even though it took a day and a half to accomplish it, she was extremely sorry that it was over. Hunting Kirika down had become a new sport, with all of the energy drainings or so. It was a shame to lose such an excellent genome. And plus, she was naturally born. Alas, Kalani sighed and turned away, ready to return back her follow genomes.

          There was a gargle and a gasp of air behind her. Kalani turned around and frowned at the sight that lay before her. Kirika was on all fours and she seemed to be breathing. Perhaps she (Kalani) had underestimated the power of the Life Crystal. Then again, the crystal could only support life, not restore life. So what was this? It was then that Kalani noticed Kirika's hair. It seemed like it was bleeding or at least reddish part of her hair was.

          "You can't get rid of me," She hissed as she lifted her head to see me.

          Her entire face was ghostly white and veins popped out everywhere on the bottom half of her face. Not only that, but there was mysterious outline of vines all over it and her eyes were completely black.

          "What are you?" Kalani asked, easing toward the open doorway just a few inches from her location.

          Kirika floated up from the bottom of the floor and stood upright. The hole that she had pierced in her chest stood out amongst the shadows that clung to her form.

          "I am the child of Iifa, of course."

          Kirika lifted her hand and pointed at Kalani, with all the giddiness of a perky schoolgirl. The darkness from around her body lashed out, sending Kalani down the hallway she had been trying to get to earlier and into something hard.

Kuja:

          Thankfully for us, there was another path to the cathedral from the Industrial District. I hadn't given up hope on Kirika, but the stab of pain I felt earlier made me think otherwise. Melinda led us through several passageways until a person stopped us in our tracks. She/he/it fell past us with so much speed into a wall that it made us wince and it also put us in danger. Normally, some sick part of me would have enjoyed that entire scene. But something wasn't right. That was confirmed when a girl that looked exactly like Kirika, only surrounded by death and shadows, entered the room. I glanced at Kirei out of the corner of my eyes to see what her reaction was. She wasn't too happy about this situation obliviously.

          "Stop it! Don't kill me!"

          Things were about to get interesting. But if that girl really was Kirika…

          "Your death will be quite quick, trust me. I know."

          Kirika lifted her hand and spread all of her fingers out. Energy bubbled up through her skin and gather out into an orb. The girl attempted to back up, trying to escape her fate. Kirei elbowed me roughly and pointed her finger at Kirika.

          "You need to stop her, Kuja. She can't have blood on her hands, she has no control over her actions."

          "Give me suggestions on how to stop her then," I snapped.

          The orb disappeared and appeared in front of Kirika's index finger, just ready to fire.

          "Too bad. No one will save you now."

          The energy vanished from her finger and the girl fell silent. I kept my face expressionless as I figured out just what Kirika had done. The spell she cast was way too quick for any eye to follow. That kind of power was…scary. Kirika smirked and turned in out direction. Her eyes held darkness and a feral intelligence behind them.

          "Kirika, don't you recognize us?" Melinda asked.

          Kirika hissed and narrowed her eyes.

          "I guess her answer for me question is no," Kirei commented.

          A dragon's cry sounded, making us all jump out of our skin. When I glanced at Kirika again, she was on the floor and barely breathing. Not good. However, concern for my well being kept me from approaching her.

          "Amaranthine…she's hurt. I gotta get to her…"


	6. The Mystery

Author's Note: I had to rewrite this chapter…for mysterious reasons! Ah well, sorry for the lateness. Enjoy.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 5-The Mystery

Neo Lindblum (Undestroyed) Grand Castle

5:37 A.M. Gaian Standard

Kirika:

          These hands have been almost anywhere and done almost everything. That included something dark as well. That's how I felt. These pale hands had some kind of visible blood on them. It was a shame I couldn't remember how I did it. I had a suspicion that what had happened last night had something to do with it. However, I was a bit frightened when I found that I couldn't remember anything past the cathedral. Apparently, I was alive now. But what happened to Kalani? Amaranthine growled and nuzzled me softly. Her wounds were healing quickly, which was good. However with that, she couldn't walk or fly very well.

          'Mommy, I want to go outside.'

          I glanced at Amaranthine carefully and shook my head.

          "I can't. Your injured and I'm supposed to stay inside the castle."

          Amaranthine nudged my shoulder gently and snorted.

          'You've never followed the rules before, Kirika.'

          Haha, true.

          "Fine, we'll go out for a small walk. Let's go ahead and take the service elevator down."

          Amaranthine got up to her feet and followed me to the doors of the elevator. Since this building was rarely used for anything, it was decided that the dragons could stay here, especially since the service elevator was big enough to house their bodies. The doors opened automatically, forcing me to step aside as Amaranthine climbed in. I, somehow, got in and pressed the button for the bottom floor. When the doors opened again, warm sunlight washed over us and I couldn't help but smile.

          This definitely felt better than that cold castle. Everyone looked at me like I was something to be feared in there and I didn't know why. I couldn't understand it. I stepped out into the sun and walked across the castle walls slowly. Amaranthine followed after, more than happy to stretch her wings out in the open air.

          "Excuse me, but are you Lady Kirika Tribal?"

          I whipped around and noted that there was a person hidden in a black cloak standing along the wall. Funny, I hadn't noticed the person before.

          "Yes, I am," I said softly.

          The person drew near and held out a small scroll. I took it into my hands and stared at the person.

          "Good luck," It said and disappeared.

          'What is it, Mommy?'

          "I don't know…but I'll open it."

          I opened it with a simple flick of my hand and started reading.

          "'Come to Mt. Gulug for answers.'"

          'What's that supposed to mean?'

          I knew what it meant, but I wasn't about to tell Amaranthine anything. Kuja knew how to talk to dragons, which meant telling them anything was futile.

          "Nothing, my pet. Let's go back inside."

Kuja:

          Today felt ominous somehow. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it was because of Kirika. Well, either way you put it; I was still very paranoid. My theory had revealed a lot of possibilities to me, such as the point about the Iifa breathing life into Terra. That point clearly connected with Kirika being Iifa's new heart. So Terra's existence depended on her. Hmm…not good. Another point was on Garland's power sapping plan.

          Unless he just really didn't care about Terra, he had to be setting Mikoto up for something. Whatever that was, I didn't want to know. I grumbled and set my stack of papers down. Now where was Kirika? The last time I spoke to her, she was headed around the castle to see Amaranthine. So she must be down there still. I opened the door and walked out into the hallway. It was quiet except for the small tinkle of water. Now that was a good thing for last night wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience when it came to wondering around the rusty halls.

          I knocked on the door to Kirika's room, expecting to see her before wondering off to do better things. There was no answer. Funny…I thought she would at least obey my commands for once, I grumbled to myself as I opened the door. Only to see that no one was there.

          "Kirika!"

Kirika:

          That shout belonged to Kuja…that much I knew. He had discovered I had left a little too early for I really hadn't left Lindblum's castle grounds yet. I waved my hand at Amaranthine, which meant 'stay and be quiet until I get back', and slipped my boots on. Now these weren't the normal assortment of boots, for they had the fly spell enchantment on them. That way I could fly without exhausting my own energy and that was something I couldn't afford.

          "Stay here, Amaranthine and don't tell Kuja anything or else I'll ignore you for a day."

          Amaranthine snorted and turned away. I knew she considered my threat to be empty, but I didn't care.

          "Goodbye!" I shouted as I jumped into the air.

One hour later

Kuja:

          "She did it again," was all I had to say when everyone had gathered in the lounge.

          At first, Zidane laughed, but as the moments passed, he grew serious.

          "Hmm…she reminds me of well…me at a very young age," He commented.

          "Of course she does, Zidane. She has your genes, but that's not the point. The point is that Kirika's heading for Mount Gulug," I snapped.

          "But why?" Garnet asked.

          "Someone must have given her this."

          I held out a scroll and flattened it out gently.

          "It's a trap," Kirei hissed.

          I glanced at her, my face unreadable. It seemed like my daughter was more apt for trouble these days. And she was prone to bouts of deafness.

          "It's Mikoto's old ploy to lure people out. I suggested we go and find her now."

          The others nodded in agreement.

          "We meet at the airship dock in 10 minutes," Zidane declared.

          Moments later, there was no one in the room but Kirei and me.

          "I'm worried."

          I raised an eyebrow and sighed. Kirei worried? Ha…the world must be going straight to hell or maybe the exact opposite. But along with that, I was also worried.

          "Me too. But there must be a reason for Kirika going off alone."

          Kirei snarled and slapped me hard on the cheek. I stood there, shock written all over my face. No one had struck me like that before…at least no on that lived.

          "Sometimes you can be really ignorant Kuja! Your daughter has yet to find out about what happened last night and you won't tell her! I thought you would have learned from last year!"

          I couldn't help but dissolve into my old fits of laughter.

          "I have learned from last year, Kirei."

          Kirei smirked.

          "You only learned to contain that anger inside, but you haven't learned how to be a better father."

          Nothing I could say could less the burn of her statement and that infuriated me.

          "Hmm…so much for your fire, Kuja."

Esto Gaza

Kirika:

          I was surprised at how much this place had changed. With the coming and going of the seasons and years, Esto Gaza was about the size of Alexandria. This change was indeed ironic, since the climate was a bit harsh. I liked it, though. Since Lindblum existed on a different continent, we got everything except winter. So…this change was much needed. I walked through the front gates into the heart of the city, which was cave-like.

          "Welcome visitor."

          I glanced around and noticed the pale skinned man to the left of me.

          "Greetings," I said politely.

          "You must be cold. Come have a drink."

          I nodded and followed him into the room to the right. Sure enough, there was a bar there and it was barely occupied. That was great for me, seeing as I didn't need any extra attention at the moment. Kuja told me that it was rare to see genomes in these parts. And I didn't need to mention anything about Kuja either. I sighed as the barkeep handed me a drink. Hmm…it's best to leave this town as fast as I can.

          "So where are you headed to?"

          "Mount Gulug," I answered after taking a sip.

          The man stared at me for a moment or two before shaking his head.

          "No one's been in Mount Gulug for years. It's dangerous."

          "I'm aware of that, but I'm on business."

          I smirked and got up from the bar.

          "Good day, I muttered as I walked out of the room.

Kuja:

          Irritation wouldn't be the only word to describe my mood. Kirei's scolding had burned a hole in my heart. The problem was that all of what she said was true. Fatherhood was the one thing I thought I couldn't fail. And yet, I fell so far from where I originally started. I shook my head and stared at the Invincible's front window. I was just trying to protect Kirika. I thought she would stay innocent like she was when she was…oh so young. I was native for thinking that. Maybe Garland was enjoying torturing me. I guess it was better than dying.

          "Get ready, Kuja, we're getting ready to land."

          I blinked and glanced up at Garnet's lovely pale face. She started to go off to the back of the Invincible, but something on my face kept her rooted to the spot.

          "Is there something wrong?"

          "Nothing," I muttered.

          "You're lying. Want to know how I can tell?"

          I nodded.

          "Because that arrogant streak of yours is gone. Did something Kirei told you bother you?"

          Wow…straight to the point, eh Garnet?

          "How did you know?" I asked.

          "I heard about it from Zidane. I can understand how you feel."

          I snorted.

          "No you don't."

          Garnet laughed.

          "Just think about it, Kuja. I know that's what your good for."

          I couldn't help but smirk. All that coming from Garnet was a miracle. And yet, she was right. I had to put this behind me.

          "Set down over there, Zidane."

Kirika:

          The air inside the volcano was humid, but comfortable enough to tolerate. Somehow, I wondered if people froze to death once they got outside. After all, the shock of temperatures could put people in shock. I slipped off my cloak and tied it around my waist quickly. It was then that I became aware of the dwellings in the walls. This was once a mountain community or so many history books said. I wondered how they got wiped out…

          "They were fools to think they could live in this place without being contested. But that is a question you should ask your father, Kirika."

          I blinked and turned around only to see Mikoto.

          "What are you doing here?" I snapped.

          She shrugged and pointed all around the room.

          "Are you here to truly find answers, Kirika? Or are you here to discover fear?"

          "What are you talking about?"

          Mikoto smirked.

          "You shall see."

Kuja:

          A loud scream shook me out of my thoughts as I went through Esto Gaza. Garnet cast a worried glance at me while Zidane and Kirei froze up.

          "That sounded like Kirika."

          I forgot about Myou being here with us. He walked out from behind Silver's massive form smoothly, his dark eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't look happy either.

          "We must hurry."

          "He's right."

Kirika:

          Darkness…nothing but darkness as far as my eyes could see. But why was I seeing this?

          "You shall see."

          What did Mikoto mean? The answer came in the form of a flash of light. I found myself standing on a barren blue landscape, with a purplish sky. There were no signs of vegetation for miles. Wait…wasn't this in my dreams once?

          "It's good to see that you remember something, Kirika Tribal. Tell me, have you figured out the significance between the inhabitants of Mount Gulug and Terra?"

          I blinked and noted the appearance of a little girl on the horizon. She looked slightly older than when I saw her last, but I guess that was expected.

          "No, tell me," I said loudly.

          The ground shifted under my feet violently for a second or two and then settled down.

          "They both vanished into the unknown, child. Can you see how much Terra has changed?"

          I nodded. That was the first thing I noticed.

          "Is this my energy at work?" I asked.

          The girl shrugged.

          "It is not in my place to say."

          "So what are you here for?"

          "To warn you."

          "Of what? And from who?"

          "Stay away from Mikoto, Garland and especially your father, Kuja. Take solace only in Myou, Garnet, Zidane and in your dragons."

          Things were about to get messy.

Author's Note: Ok, I'm taking a poll. Should Kirika have a child by the end of the story or should she die before it's born? Let me know in future reviews. May I remind you that this does determine the outcome of the fic.


	7. Solace

Author's Note: I'm still waiting on those answers, but uh, I'm upping the rating on the fic since there will be a rather nice scene in here (which will be described to the best of my ability). Enjoy!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 6-Solace

Treno, City of Nobles

Kirika:

          I walked softly behind Zidane, taking great care to keep my facial expression hidden. I didn't want anyone to see how I was feeling, especially Kuja. The information I got earlier made me shy away from him like a scared animal. To think that he could turn away from out side with just one command from Garland made me deeply upset. According to the girl, there could be something done to counter this problem, but that wasn't something I wanted to do just yet. On our way in Treno, we received summons to appear before the Treno nobles. I had a feeling that an old issue was going to be brought up tonight and I would not like that.

          Nevertheless, there we were…in the main hall of the nobles court. I couldn't help but feel trapped in this place and with good reason. I hadn't been back in Treno for two years and by coming back, it seemed like I was sealing my fate.

          "Welcome, everyone, I'm sure you know the occasion?"

          I narrowed my eyes at the old noble that had walked into the room. Behind him stood a small group of men that bore disapproving frowns.

          "What's this all about?" I hissed, trying back my hood with a flick of my hand.

          The nobles appeared to wince at the sight of me and took a step back.

          "Sir Kuja, I regret to inform you that the charges against your daughter have not been dropped."

          "Are you serious? It's been two years!" Kuja snapped.

          For a moment, I noticed the amount of anger in his voice. The noble in the front smirked.

          "Kirika is not above the law, Sir Kuja. She must be punished."

          I snarled and walked up to the noble. He blinked and began to shake under my steel-like gaze.

          "Have you forgotten who saved Gaia?"

          "But—"

          "Answer me!"

          My voice cracked, but I didn't care. I was going to get my point over sooner or later.

          "You did."

          I narrowed my eyes even further and turned away from the noble.

          "Remember your place, noble, and don't be quick to forget it or there will be worst things befalling you soon."

Totetsumonari Kyuuden:

          By the time we arrived in my old home, my mood had turned sour. I was frustrated with Gaia and it's inhabitants right now. All they cared about was past justices. Idiots, all of them.

          "Hey, Kirika, I heard all about the encounter with nobles. I would have been able to help you if I wasn't away on business."

          I started to punch Myou in the jaw, but I thought the better of it.

          "You wouldn't have been able to help," I muttered.

          "That's where you're wrong. I'm the mayor of this city."

          I could have killed him. I swear I could have. Instead, I moved away and went into my room taking great care to slam the door behind me.

Kuja:

          I knew what the slam of a door meant any day, especially with Kirika. I've never known her to be so angry like I saw her today. Something was haunting her spirit badly and it wouldn't leave her alone. I walked down the hallway and noticed Myou. Ah…so that was it. Myou must have said something that made Kirika very angry.

          "So, what did you say to her?" I asked softly.

          "I accidentally told her that I was the mayor of Treno."

          Idiot. Anybody could tell you that Kirika disliked Treno officials with a passion. But I could tell that Myou honestly didn't know that fact about her.

          "You have a lot to learn," I commented.

          "I know."

          "Well, the first thing you need to do is apologize. Knowing Kirika, she's probably deep asleep right now. This is the best time to do it. Having fun."

Myou:

          I nodded and walked Kuja disappear down the hall. I had to admit Kuja was one of a kind. I also wondered if Kirika had the same traits. I slowly opened Kirika's door and stepped in. The room was dimly lit by candles that lay suspended in mid air, which flickered twice as I passed by them. In the corner was a large canopy bed with a little screen drawn around it. I drew closer and saw the sleeping form of my love. She was spread halfway across the bed on her back with her long feathery red hair tied up in a ponytail.

          Even as she slept, her beauty excited me. At last, she stirred and sat up. On top of her head was two cat ears that moved around for a moment or to and then disappeared into the folds of her hair. She yawned and drew back the screen around her bed.

          "All right Myou. I know you're there."

          "I wasn't trying to hide," I said calmly.

          "Sure you weren't."

          I sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at her face.

          "We haven't been alone together in a long time."

          At first, Kirika gave me a cold glare, but it quickly dissolved into a smile.

          "Well, that's been my fault, I'm afraid."

          "Not exactly," I whispered.

          I leaned over and hissed her lips softly.

          "You know, I've missed a lot these days, Myou."

          I smiled.

          "It's hard to keep those you love away," I commented.

          "Kirika! Hurry, Kuja needs your help in the kitchen!"

          Oh, joy. Kirika giggled and got up from her bed.

          "I gotta go stop Kuja from burning Kyuuden down. See you at dinner!"

          And with that, she left.

Kirika:

          Kuja and cooking did not mix. When I finally caught up with the destructive male genome, his hair—that beautiful silver hair—was on fire, literally.

          "Waterga!" I shouted as I pointed at Kuja's hair.

          A torrent of water splashed down on him, sending him to the floor. I helped him to his feet slowly, noting how pissed he looked. Well I would be too if I lost hair that I needed.

          "Are you ok?" I asked, patting his hair with a small towel.

          "I suppose I could be better."

          I laughed and sat him down in the chair.

          "Don't worry, I know it will grow back."

          I tried to be reassuring to my father, especially with his narcissistic ways. With all the kitchen accidents Kuja's had, this became routine.

          "So what were you trying to make?" I asked, setting some fresh pots out for cooking.

          "Oglop meatballs."

          Hmm, that was a good dish with the right spices and no; it wasn't made with real oglop.

          "Hmm…ok. Get another pound of meat," I ordered.

          Kuja did as he was told and turned the stove back on. I smiled and brought up some vegetables. I grinned and extended my nails, marveling at how long they were. I swiped down at them, watching as they broke a part piece by piece. Kuja sighed softly as he put the meat in the pan.

Thirty Minutes Later:

          I set the platter down the table and sat down with a big grin on my face. I felt good about fixing dinner for everyone again. It was just a proven fact that Kuja could not cook and I could. Maybe it was because I was a girl. Hmm…could be.

          "Try it, you may like it," I said as cheerfully as I could.

          There was a small moment of silence as everyone took a bite out of one of the several meatballs on the platter.

          "Excellent, Kirika," Garnet said softly.

          The others nodded in agreement. I smiled softly, happy that everyone like my treats.

          "Who taught you?" Myou asked.

          "Believe it or not, Kuja did," I answered.

          Zidane laughed and elbowed Kuja lightly. Kuja grumbled and continued nibbling on the meatballs.

          "If you are finished Kirika, can you take Amaranthine and Silver out for a walk?"

          I didn't bother to protest his order for the dragons needed to stretch their wings.

          "Kirika, I want to show you something beautiful outside."

          I blinked at Myou and got up from the table. He grabbed my hand and led me to the door.

          "It's the first snow," He whispered as he opened the door.

          I walked outside and into the light snow. It was magical.

          "When I was very young, my mother used to take me out every first snow. She would always say, 'Cherish this, Myou, for you may not get to look at such beauty again'," Myou commented.

          "She's right. Gaia always manages to show us something new everyday."

          He laughed and walked toward me slowly.

          "You are wise beyond your years."

          "I only seem that way," I whispered.

          Myou leaned in and kissed me again, this time, it was hinted with a feel of hunger. I responded almost as tenderly as a new feeling arose. I jerked away suddenly and started to the dragon's pens in the back of Kyuuden. I didn't like this feeling…it was impulsive.

          "Kirika!"

          "I must tend to Amaranthine and Silver now! I'll talk to you later, Myou!"

          I felt ugly for leaving him back there without a clue, but I couldn't count on myself to kiss him again. It was like everything was compelling me to lay down with this man. I loved…him with all my heart, but did he love me the same? I rubbed my arms carefully, noting how cold it was. I wondered outside with a jacket, which would make me sick. The last thing I needed was a cold, especially one that could affect my throat. I was taking a definite risk.

          "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, Kirika, but I really think you should go inside."

          I once again looked into the eyes of Myou. Instead of acknowledging him as I always do, I ignored and beckoned Amaranthine and Silver forward. The two dragons crawled out of the shelter and crowded around me.

          "What did I do?"

          I ignored him again and climbed onto Silver's back. I urged her along with a whisper and motioned for Amaranthine to follow. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Myou swing onto Amaranthine's back.

          "Why are you ignoring me?"

          The feeling came again…this time much stronger. But I skillfully ignored it and urged Silver to go faster. Silver broke into a swift gallop (or run) and easily jumped over the many hills that surrounded Kyuuden. This was land that Kuja had bought for the sole purpose of seclusion. It wasn't long before Amaranthine caught up to me with a very unnerved look on his face. I smirked and turned around so I could face him.

          "Catch me, if you dare!" I shouted as I leapt off of Silver's back.

          I hit the ground roughly and quickly got to my feet. I was more compelled to play with him for a little while. However, I was denied even that. Myou came out of nowhere and pounced on me, sending me rolling in the grass. When we stopped rolling, Myou surprisingly ended up on top.

          "Tell me why you felt like you needed to run," Myou whispered.

          "I'm scared. Scared of what might happened, Myou. When you kissed me back there, I felt weird."

          "Weird how?"

          "I felt alive."

          Those deep eyes peering into my soul…there was nothing I could hide from them.

          "I love you, Kirika. I love everything about you. And…"

          He paused for a second before caressing my pale face.

          "I want to have you if you will allow me."

          I considered his request quickly, knowing what this could mean. But I loved him enough to risk it. I was 18 years old, which meant that I could handle the risk. (A/N: This may get a bit sappy since I am trying to keep this under the R rating. Also…this is kinda half of a lemon.) As the moments went by, my kiss grew deeper and Myou gently responded by nibbling on my lips with his teeth gently.

Kuja:

          I yawned as I huddled inside my blankets at my window. I was a bit worried about Kirika. The temperature had dropped dramatically over the several hours that we've been here. Totetsumonari Kyuuden often took a long time to heat up, so the most of us took the route of the blankets.

          "It's not like her, Zidane," I commented as he walked by.

          He laughed and turned towards the window.

          "I doubt she'll be back for a while, Kuja, especially if Myou's out there with her."

          Right away, I knew what he meant. I stifled a laugh and gazed out at the stars above. Kirika was growing up quite quickly, indeed. But would she be able to handle it? It seemed like my job as a father was almost done. Everyone knew that my life was about to end soon. Kirika had merely accepted this fact against her will. She didn't complain to me or ask me about me about life-restoring potions like she used to.

          "I'd say your little Kirika has grown up fully. And I wouldn't be surprised if you have little children running around soon."

Kirika:

          A feeling of awe washed over me adding to my sweet gasps for air. Myou and I were moving as one united unit, our cries a joyous song in the night air. Although the temperature had dropped quite rapidly, I could hardly feel it. There was nothing but warmth and love boiling inside me. The barrage of emotions I felt overwhelmed me, and I loved it. I laughed out loud and kissed Myou on the lips, noting that he was beginning to tire…or was he? He surprised by hungrily kissing me and picking up the pace until could no longer stand it. And that's when I felt the joy of a woman wash over me.

          Myou stiffened up and lay down next to me, panting loudly. I was no longer an innocent girl, but a woman now. I rolled over and kissed Myou gently on the cheek.

          "'Take solace in Myou, Garnet, Zidane, and in your dragons'."

          I found myself whispering the warning the girl told me.

          "What does that mean?"

          I sighed.

          "Just something I heard, that's all."

          Myou blinked and narrowed his eyes at me.

          "Whatever it is, it's bothering you, is it not?"

          Well, it was…but I wasn't exactly supposed to reveal anything.

          "No, of course not."

          Myou chuckled and pulled me over to his side.

          "I'm not finished with you."


	8. The Awakening

Author's Note: I'm still waiting on answers to my poll question. Enjoy!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 7-Awakening

Kirika:

          I woke up suddenly only to find myself in my bed again. I ran my hand through my hair and yawned. Was last night a dream?

          "Ah good to see your awake, Kirika."

          I blinked and discovered Myou, standing just a few inches away from the edges of my bed. Yeah, last night as not a dream.

          "When did we get back to Kyuuden?" I asked.

          That was something I didn't remember too well, if not at all.

          "I carried you back when you fell asleep. You were shivering a lot."

          Hmm…that wasn't good. I was bound to get sick anytime now and it wouldn't be pretty.

          "Thank you, but I doubt I'll feel good for the rest of the morning."

          Myou gently grabbed me by the waist and lifted me out of bed as if I were a baby to be cuddled. I allowed him to do that only once, seeing as I wasn't a baby and I wasn't light. He planted a small kiss on my forehead and carried me down the hallway. The breakfast table was set and a large platter of eggs with a small serving of meat all around it. Everyone else was at the table, patiently waiting for me. Myou sat me down in the chair on the end, letting my delicate bedroom robes fall down around me. However, that moment of gracefulness passed very quickly and my stomach answered with an untimely heave.

          "Excuse me," I squeaked as I darted out of my chair and down the hall to the bathroom.

          And I almost didn't make it. So far, all I had gained this morning was an untimely emptying of my stomach. I wiped my mouth and got to my feet slowly. My feathery hair clung to my face and danced in front of my eyes loosely. Good morning world, I thought bitterly. I shouldn't have stayed outside so long. My body couldn't tolerate the long exposure to it. But of course, no one told you to have sex in the snow either, I thought with a grin. It wasn't long before I returned to the table where everyone was engrossed in their food. I was glad they didn't wait for me to eat.

          "Feeling better?" Kuja asked.

          "Yeah, my body's just behaving like it always does when exposed to cold for a long time," I answered, sitting down in my chair again.

          "Kirika, you know better than that."

          I blinked, not exactly ready to hear Kuja's scolding. It was rare when he did scold so I had to wonder what I did to prompt this.

          "Also, Dr. Tot wants to see you later on this morning, that is if you can keep the appointment."

          I always valued my time with Dr. Tot, but…I wasn't sure if I needed to go today.

          "Um…I'll think about going. It depends on how I'm feeling later on."

          That didn't sound like me at all, but that's how I felt.

          "It's been too quiet lately."

          "Yeah…do you think Garland and Mikoto are up to something?" Zidane asked.

          Who didn't think they were up to something?

Beneath the Black Mage Village

Mikoto:

          The turn of the weather in the Black Mage Village signaled that I had been down here too long. I couldn't complain due to the fact that my genomes were emerging from their vials for the firsts time. I had to thank Kirika when I see her next. Without her energy, my children would not be born. I smiled as two girls and a small boy walked in and knelt at my feet. They each sported gray trails and gray/silver hair modeled after Kuja and Kirika's DNA. To put it plainly, they were perfect…well almost perfect. They didn't have the power of the Life Crystal or the protection of the Iifa. That would change soon.

          "Get up, my children."

          They rose silently and stared at me.

          "Mommy wants you to do something for her. I will send you to Treno, City of Nobles to find a certain Kirika Tribal. I want you to lace her food with this."

          I tossed a small pouch to the little boy and smirked.

          "It needs just a small pinch. Do not put more that's needed, understand?"

          The children nodded.

          "Good, you are dismissed."

          Once they left, Garland seemed to appear out of nowhere.

          "You're pushing it, Mikoto. Lacing food isn't exactly smart."

          "Shut up, I have everything planned down to the time frame. I can still access Kirei's mind without her knowing so I can oversee the plan," I snapped.

          "I worked too hard to get that energy to waste it on your sorry children!"

          I snarled and took the chance to leave the room. I didn't have to follow that idiot. I just didn't have to. Soon enough, Garland. Soon you won't have a reason to exist on Gaia. I'll see to it.

Myou:

          "Are you sure you'll be ok on the way to Dr. Tot?" I asked.

          Kirika sighed and wrapped herself in a gray cloak.

          "I know you're concerned, but I'm fine."

          I wondered if I could believe her. After all, I had reason to after being thrown up on twice. But I knew Kirika would be fine without my help.

          "I'm not going to argue about that. But please come home safe," I whispered and kissed her cheek.

          Kirika grinned weakly and pulled a hat over her head.

          "I'll try. If you need me, call my cell phone. Oh, and try to keep peace in the house."

          I nodded and watched her leave.

Kirika:

          I hated to leave Kyuuden without making sure Kuja didn't get volatile. If there was one thing I know, it was that Zidane and Kuja often had violent fights between each other. Not only that, but Kuja's powers often misfired, causing mass destruction throughout Treno.

          I walked up the steps to the top of Dr. Tot's tower, noting at how things for him didn't change. The door at the top was wide open, welcoming those who wished to see it. I gathered up the edges of my robes and stepped in.

          "Good morning, Lady Kirika. I trust you have been well?"

          I laughed.

          "Actually, I've been sick all morning," I muttered.

          "Oh, the body thing right?"

          I shrugged and settled into a nearby chair.

          "It may be something else as well."

          "So, what do you know about Terra right now?"

          "Well so far, all I've had is dreams about it, but also, I found out that I was the source for Terra's co-existence with Gaia."

          Dr. Tot leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

          "How do you know that you are the source?" He asked.

          "The Life Crystal exists between both worlds. Since the crystal is contained within my heart, I possess the life needed to keep Terra alive."

          "You know that if you die, Terra dies, correct?"

          "No, I believe that theory is wrong. I am the child of Iifa and as long as Terra exists, I will not die."

          Dr. Tot stroked his beard and yawned.

          "That may be true, Kirika. I believe your spirit will not vanish so quickly off Gaia."

          I smiled and folded my arms over my chest.

          "So…Dr. Tot when can you get me that doctor's appointment?"

          "Well, I may arrange it with your father so that when you get ready to leave again I can accompany you."

          I nodded.

          "That will be fine with me, of course."

          "Good."

Zidane:

          "Hey Kuja."

          I stared at my blanket-covered brother, who was currently huddled in a corner. He was paler than normal, if that's possible. It seemed to me that we needed to start traveling again. We had only spent two days in Treno for some well needed rest and relaxation.

          "What is it, Zidane?"

          "He lives…heh, heh."

          Kuja shot me a glare that could melt entire cities. I ignored it and pulled the blankets off of him.

          "You know your irritating right?"

          I laughed.

          "Yes, thank you."

          Kuja covered his face with his hands and sighed.

          "Go make yourself useful."

          "I should say the same thing to you, Kuja. You know it's not good for Kirika to be here long. Trouble is bound to happen."

          Kuja took his hands away from his face and stood up.

          "Who are you to tell me what I should do for my daughter?" He snapped.

          "I'm your brother, you idiot! I happen to know that Kirika's vulnerable here."

          "No, she's not, Zidane."

          "If you haven't noticed, Kirika's probably pregnant. When have you known her colds to get that serious to the point when she can't eat?"

          Kuja blinked and ran his hands through his hair.

          "How did you know?"

          "It wasn't hard to figure out. I just asked Myou about it."

          "Did you ask Myou about how committed to Kirika he is?"

          There was venom in Kuja's voice.

          "They both love each other dearly, Kuja. But I can understand your concern on that issue."

          "Don't go there, Zidane."

          I smiled.

          "Come out and have a drink with me. It'll relax you."

          "Fine, Zidane, but you know my limit."

          I smirked. What limit?


	9. Weird Jealousy

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. The Thanksgiving Holidays have slowed my updating schedule down. So…tomorrow Dream Weaver's final chapter will be up. Oh and Chapter 9 is affected by the vote. Before I get started, let me tell you what the situation is: Kuja's well…halfway drunk, Kirika's unaware and jealousy runs rampant among the young female Treno nobles.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 8-Weird Jealousy

Treno, City of Nobles

Kirika:

          When I walked into Totetsumonari Kyuuden, I noticed that it was intact and peaceful. Miracles do exist. Garnet poked her head around the corner curiously. I smiled softly and pulled my cloak off.

          "It's too quiet in here. Where's Zidane and Kuja?" I asked.

          "Out drinking, I guess."

          I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. It didn't take much for Kuja to get drunk and it didn't take long for him to become a mean drunk either.

          "Ah, so where is everyone else?" I asked.

          "Kirei's out for a walk and Myou's back at his office."

          Hmm…his office? I knew where that was. I was feeling much better now that the sickness had passed. I had so many things to do now: walk Amaranthine, take care of Kuja, find literature and talk to Myou. I slipped my cloak back on and opened the door.

          "I'm going out for a while, Garnet. Call me if you need me."

          And with that, I ventured outside. It was snowing lightly again and the wind was nearly still but lightly blowing. I headed back to the dragon pens and opened the gates. Silver was curled up under the shelter dead asleep. Amaranthine was halfway awake and curled up on a patch of ground the snow didn't touch.

          "Come on, Amaranthine," I whispered.

          The dragon shook herself lightly and got up to her feet. She yawned for a moment or two and padded out of the pen. I swung up on her back and motioned for her to continue on. I was pretty sure the governing house of Treno was somewhere in the center of Treno. I steered Amaranthine down onto the main street, ignoring the stares of the public. At last, I swung down onto the ground just a few yards away from the office.

          "Go find Kuja and Zidane," I muttered, patting her side roughly.

          My pet dragon growled and padded away, snorting at every noble that went past. Score: Amaranthine: 1, Nobles: 0. Dragons truly are wonderful creatures, I thought as I walked inside the building. It was brightly lit inside the front foyer and there was a circle of women inside of it. Funny…now I felt uncomfortable.

          "Are you here for Myou?"

          I blinked.

          "I'm here to see him, yes," I answered timidly. One of the women motioned to an empty seat in front of me. I sat down gingerly, content to rest for a little while. But there was one thing still bothered me: the claims about Myou.

          "So, what are you here for?" I asked.

          "To see Myou, of course. He's the only man in Treno that's single and rich."

          Like hell he was.

          "He's not single. He has a soul mate already, your too late," I said carefully.

          If these girls were smart, they would detect the hint in my sentence.

          "You've got to be lying. But if it is true, who's the lucky girl?"

          Sharp, indeed.

          "It's me."

          I smirked, knowing what was coming next: insults.

          "You? Are you serious? You're Sir Kuja's daughter and that does not make you a noble."

          "Jealousy eats at your hearts," I hissed, pointing at each and every one of them.

          The looks they gave me would have killed half of Lindblum off, but I didn't care. I was tired of the noble's attitude, but before I could say something, the door on the other side of the room open. Myou poked his head out, blinking in confusion.

          "Kirika, there you are. I was just about to get one of these lazy girls out to send for you."

          It was hard to keep the smirk off of my face after that entire conversation. Nevertheless, I got up from the chair and crossed the room quickly.

          "Are you feeling much better?" Myou asked.

          "For now. Nothing a little rest and warmth couldn't heal."

          "I'll return to Totetsumonari Kyuuden soon, but in the meantime relax and rest."

          Heh…you didn't have to tell me twice.

Kuja:

          If Zidane actually expected me to drink with him, then he was surely mistaken. However, I did want to drink at least one thing. (Just for the effect of being stoned.) There were too many things going on in Treno that concerned us. I sat down at the bar next to Zidane, being extremely careful not to reveal anymore of my appearance than necessary. Not everyone liked my presence in Treno, especially as a result of two years ago. Kirika had definitely atoned for her mistakes now, but people often less than forgiving.

          "Red wine," I whispered in Zidane's ear.

          He nodded and motioned to the barkeep. I leaned back and focused on the sounds around me.

Kirika:

          I found myself on Terra once again, only this time it was filled with trees and animals. It was starting to look just like Gaia. I couldn't believe it! So this is what my heart could cultivate on my own.

          "Terra is growing full with energy Kirika! Soon the Shimmering Island will open again and the souls will flow!"

          I smiled at the little girl softly and stretched out along the ground. Instead of hard metallic ground, there was a thin layer of grass underneath me.

          "Does this mean everything's ok?" I asked.

          The girl shook her head.

          "My warning still stands. You have a child growing inside you, Kirika. Because you are a genome and because you possess the Life Crystal, it will grow quickly just giving you two months of pregnancy. Keep it safe…please."

          Just two months…that could put me in danger. But still…it wouldn't 'hurt'.

          "You have my word as an expectant mother."

          The girl smiled.

          "Till me meet again, Kirika."

          I snapped awake, lazily rubbing my eyes. My vision blurred and then straightened up altogether, giving me a nice image of Myou. He pulled the screen from around my bed and kissed me softly.

          "Good evening, dear," He whispered.

          I smiled.

          "Glad to see your name."

          "So you think you're well enough to go out for a formal affair?"

          A formal affair? Hmm…maybe.

          "But I don't have the dress for it. Most of my clothes are in Alexandria," I protested.

          Myou kissed me again and pulled me out of bed.

          "Don't worry, Garnet and I have it handled. Just go see her."

          I couldn't resist him. Besides, it wouldn't kill me to go out properly dressed.

          "Ok."

          I walked out of the room and down the main hallway of Totetsumonari Kyuuden. Garnet was waiting for me at the end of the hallway with a big smile on her face.

          "Come on, we've got to get you ready.'

          "What about Kuja, Zidane and Kirei?" I asked.

          "They will be there."

          I wasn't sure about that. Zidane + Kuja + alcoholic beverages = Trouble, always. Nevertheless, I walked inside the room and gazed at the most beautiful dress on Gaia. It was sort of like a bedroom dress with little diamonds all over it. The sleeves were kimono-like in length and they were also studded with little diamonds as well. Not only that, the dress itself was a pale shade of red.

          "Wow."

          "Come on, go put it on."

          I rolled my eyes at Garnet and went behind the changing screen. After five minutes, I had it on, remarking at how light it felt. I stepped out from behind the screen and slipped into the shoes Garnet had waiting out for me. Perfect. Garnet handed me a brush and two star shaped earrings. I took them and sighed. One quick brush set my hair straight and down my shoulder and it didn't take much to put the earrings in. As I walked out of Garnet's room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. This reminded me of the Neo Lindblum Ball: how I was pampered before I showed myself on the ballroom floor. Ah…good memories. Good memories.

          "Kirika."

          I blinked and looked at Myou, who was dressed in a red suit.

          "Hmm…you look good," I purred, edging close enough to plant a small kiss on his lips.

          "Ah, but you aren't finished dressing yet."

          Huh? Not finished? But I had everything on.

          "Everything but this."

          Myou turned me around and put a diamond necklace around my neck.

          "It's beautiful," I gasped.

          "I overheard the girls talking about you earlier. I hope they didn't insult you."

          I snorted.

          "They are just jealous, that's all. I don't worry about things like that."

          "Let's make them even more jealous."

Treno, City of Nobles

Kuja:

          I was glad to leave the tavern Treno was so known for. I admit, the wine was excellent, but I much rather see my daughter with Myou. They made a great couple, but I could see that Kirika was a little unsure about something. I had learned how to predict and uncover her moods so perfectly that she couldn't hide much from me.

          "Are they here yet?" Zidane asked.

          "No, not yet, but I doubt they'll be late."

          "Late? Who's late?"

          I whipped around only to glance in astonishment at my daughter, Kirika Tribal and Myou. Together they looked perfect, absolutely perfect.

          "I'm jealous," I whispered.

          Kirika laughed lightly and hugged me.

          "There's no need for jealousy, just for pride."

          Myou led her away slowly, giving her time for waves and greetings. My daughter had truly grown wise beyond her years and this proved it. I wasn't sure if I had taught her most of what she learned. Or maybe life took care of the holes I left behind. In the years that Kirika's been around me, I knew her main goal was love. And Iifa has answered her prayers. I couldn't help but notice that she was swaying a lot.

          "Something's wrong," Zidane whispered.

          I'm not stupid, Zidane. But the fact that he could notice it alarmed me. She was just speaking normally just a few moments anyway. So what could have issued such a change?

Mikoto:

          I dropped the pouch and breathed sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought this mission would fail. My children were good, but not that good. They had tried their best to lace Kirika's food, but the confusion and activity frightened them. I watched with a smile as Kirika began to stumble in the middle of the floor.

          "Go down, dear child. Fall."

          And she did. Rather roughly I might add. As the crowd gathered around the fallen genome, I made my exit.

          "Enjoy your gift, Kirika."


	10. Mistake

Author's Note: Now I'm skipping forward in time a little bit, just two months ahead. And this chapter may sound a bit weird. It's been strung out over the holidays.

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 9-Mistake

Totetsumonari Kyuuden

5:57 A.M.

Myou:

          "Come on, Zidane. You're too slow!" Kirika shouted, while bringing her swords into an 'x' position. Zidane pretended to be tired for a moment or two and lowered his swords. Bad move, or so I thought. Kirika dashed forward carefully, her swords darting in at Zidane's chest. They weren't real times strikes, they were designed to test the defenses and determine weaknesses. During these last two months, I got to observe the various changes within Kirika. She was unbelievable during these months with all of the constant training and running. I found it hard to watch sometimes for my concern for her was great.

          But Kirika was responsible and gentle and she knew how important the child was to everyone. Zidane's swords snapped up immediately and pushed the invading swords away. In one fluid motion, he thrust his swords low and to the side. Kirika danced away slowly, sending her hands to do the quicker work. Her swords quickly deflected Zidane's harmlessly wide. Kirika shifted her weight again and moved in quicker, her left sword wearing in repeated feints over and over again. Zidane edged backwards, blocking the feints with one hand as well. Kirika, with a smirk on her face, spun around quickly, using brute forces to smack her swords into his. Zidane responded by locking their swords together and sighed.

          "Hmm…another day, perhaps?" Kirika asked, dropping her swords to her side.

          "Maybe I think Kuja's almost ready to leave Kyuuden again."

          Leaving Kyuuden meant a lot of things now. Treno was safe, but not that safe. No one in Treno knew of Kirika's advanced pregnancy, which was excellent. Of course, we had to kill some people to keep it that way, but that was expected. This was Treno and Treno was not entirely the city of nobles. Kirika smoothed her long red hair back.

          "Leaving Kyuuden? I don't know if I want to leave just yet."

          Zidane shrugged.

          "I guess I could understand why."

          "Where's my father?"

          "He's still suffering from that hangover, heh, heh."

Kirika:

          I couldn't help but laugh. I knew Kuja was drunk last night. He was so druink that he didn't even know it. Little does he know about himself! I rubbed my belly softly and sat down in the closest chair.

          "I'll go get something to eat for you, if you wish," Zidane whispered.

          I couldn't refuse him. Everyone had been so nice to me throughout my pregnancy by making sure I was eating and comfortable. Kirei even wove some clothes for my child, both in pink and in blue so that she would be ready. I, of course, hadn't figured out what gender my child was, but I had a feeling I would know soon enough. Maybe a little bird will tell me. Zidane nodded and walked off.

          "Kirika, why don't you agree with Zidane's idea of leaving?"

          The voice belonged to Myou, that much I knew, but the tone he used was overly serious.

          "This is my second home, Myou. I'm just not ready to leave yet," I answered carefully.

          "But it's not safe here. What if the news of your pregnancy gets out?"

          What was wrong with Myou? I had never heard him talk like this before.

          "I have magic and I can fight. That's all the safety I need. You need to have faith in me," I snapped.

          "I do, it's just that—"

          I turned around to face him the best I could while also keeping my expression straight.

          "You don't believe I can do it, do you? What have you to fear, Myou? I didn't survive as Kuja's daughter being timid."

          I saw a flash of anger in his expression and decided to choose my words carefully. I loved Myou, but I wanted no love lost between us. Arguing would be bad for my child and the stress…not good.

          "I'm just concerned for you, that's all," Myou hissed.

          That's it!

          "I'm not a child! Maybe it's time for you to go by yourself!" I shouted.

          I stormed out of the room without waiting for him to reply. I hated when people treated me like a child. I am a woman with a child on the way. I think I would know whether my decisions are valid or not. I growled as I went into my bedroom slowly. Amaranthine lifted her head up and snorted at me curiously.

          'Mommy, you seem mad.'

          I closed the door behind me and locked it.

          "He just doesn't understand, Amaranthine. He just thinks I'm a child," I whispered.

          'It'll be ok.'

          Amaranthine sat her head on my belly and nuzzled it. She was my child also…

Kuja:

          "I have some news from Dr. Tot."

          I snarled at Zidane through the layer of hair covering my face and sighed. What else could possibly happen to us now, I thought bitterly. My body was growing stiff and feeble. Sooner or later, it would be impossible for me to go out. I was praying silently that Kirika would agree to my suggestion of leaving. But so far, there was no word on it.

          "What's the news?" I asked tiredly.

          "The Treno nobles are getting suspicious so they are sending someone over here in the evening."

          Great, more trouble. I didn't want any Treno nobles around when Kirika was so close to labor. The fact that Myou was in league would worsen the damage to our reputation.

          "Hmm…that is something to think about."

          There was a knock at my door. I motioned to Zidane weakly and leaned back in my chair. Myou stepped in slowly with a weird expression on his face. I sat up straighter in order to see him better and to observe his expression. He was really upset, I could tell he and Kirika fought. Well…there was the first time for everything.

          "Something wrong, Myou?" I asked, keeping my tone light.

          "Kirika's not going."

          Just as I feared. I knew my daughter would refuse to leave. The girl had to lot more sense than most people. So…I didn't mind her indecision. What I did mind was the fight between the two.

          "And you argued. I know you're worried about her, but Kirika will be fine. You just need to focus on keeping Kirika out of the sight of the Treno nobles tonight," I said softly.

          "Tonight."

          "The nobles are insecure people, Myou. You would know."

          Myou laughed.

7:13 P.M.

Kirika:

          I was in an incredibly bad mood before the sun set in the west. My back ached and my chest seemed to reflect that ache ten fold. Dr. Tot told me to stay in bed for the rest of the evening due to the fact that I was so close to labor. I couldn't help but wonder where Myou was and whether he cared about my feelings. The argument before had proved nothing but the fact that he was over protective. I sighed and leaned back against my pillow. It wasn't fair. I wasn't a child. A wave of pain shot through my spine, cutting my breath short.

          "Kuja!"

Kuja:

          I wondered why Kirika shouted my name in pain. Was it…time? I got up from my chair stiffly and wrapped my blankets around me.

          "Garnet, Kirei!" I yelled loudly.

          "We're on it, Kuja! And maybe you would be too if you would get your slow ass down here!"

          Ha, ha, funny.

Kirika:

          Too many people…too many people, I thought darkly as everyone gathered inside my room. I backed up against a pillow and sighed.

          "What's going on, Kirika?" Kirei asked.

          I glared at her darkly before clutching my stomach in pain.

          "Pain and lots of it. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't ask stupid questions like that," I snapped.

          Garnet laughed and touched my belly.

          "They are probably contractions, Kirika. I'll try to make you as comfortable as possible, but you're in for some pain."

          "How do you know all of this?"

          "Oh…no reason. Now I'll go send for Dr. Tot."

          Nice one, Garnet. It's not hard to figure out what you and Zidane have been doing. Heh, heh. Everyone left except for a wayward late Kuja. And I had a feeling that what was coming next wasn't going to be about the baby.

          "Did you hear about tonight?" Kuja asked.

          What about tonight? What was going on?

          "No, what's going…on?"

          I paused somewhat as a ripple of pain shot through my chest.

          "The nobles are concerned as they pick today of all days to investigate our isolation."

          I held back a snarl and leaned against the pillow again. This was a very bad day. Hmm…the only thing that could make it worse was the appearance of genomes. In my weakened state, I wouldn't be able to help defend Treno.

          "Kuja, I can't have them in Totetsumonari Kyuuden. I'm having a child and I don't need this."

          "I know, Kirika. Just relax and we'll get through this."

          I blinked and sighed.

          "Where's Myou?" I asked.

          "Probably back at his office."

          Back at his office? But I needed him here! Gods, I need him here with me. Suddenly, I wished I hadn't argued with him I wanted to stay here, that's all.

Myou:

          I hated to leave Totetsumonari Kyuuden at this time of day due to the fact that everyone was out and about. And that wasn't good. My appearance was perfect for gossip and gossip was not good. I entered the office building with sign and noticed a woman standing outside my door. I recognized her as Ryoko, Treno's highest-ranking noble (Yes, she was higher than me). Her presence here could only mean one thing. She was not happy.

          "Sir Myou, we meet again…and not on happy terms I fear."

          Hmm…I guess so if your going to hang around in my face.

          "What is the problem?" I asked.

          "You are the Mayor, so I except you to know better. Rumors fly around Treno about a certain woman named Kirika.'

          I should have known this would be about Kirika. Of course, with the isolation policy they had up, there would be issues raised.

          "What about her?" I asked, keeping my voice cool and fair.

          "You have been with her, have you not?"

          "Yes, I have."

          "That's very dangerous indeed, Myou. This could cost you your job."

          "Kirika's a kind and sweet person. She wouldn't do anything to anyone here."

          "She's not one of us, Myou. Sir Kuja may be a noble, but that brat of his is not."

          I bit my lip to keep from snapping back. Kirika was more of a noble than Ryou was and she wasn't even a pure noble. But I had to be cautious of what I say.

          "I see by your expression that you don't agree with my reasoning. Speak your mind."

          "You have a very vogue opinion about the Tribal family, Ryoko."

          "We'll see in an hour, Myou."

Hour Later

Kuja:

          So far, the 'peace' of Totetsumonari Kyuuden hadn't been disturbed, which was excellent. I personally wanted to drink the day away, but today's events wouldn't allow it, plus Kirika's constant death threats were cause for concern. She was in serious pain and pretty much everyone knew it. I could only pray that she would deliver the child soon. A knock came at my front door, startling me out of my thoughts.

          "Kirei!" I shouted as I started to stand up.

          Kirei's pale face peered around the corner with a frown.

          "Now?"

          I nodded. She swore and closed the door for a moment. I moved towards the back of Kyuuden as Kirei opened the door again and walked to the front. I listened intently as she opened the front door. From around the corner, I saw the thin face of Ryoko. Not her…not her! Ryoko hated Kirika with a passion. So much that she would probably try to frame her.

          "Good evening, Ryoko," I said as I walked back in the foyer.

          A scream leaked out from the back of Kyuuden, rocking the paintings on the walls. Ryoko narrowed her azure eyes at me and smirked.

          "It's been a long time, Kuja. I suppose you see fit to stay in this palace in isolation?"

          Well…yeah. I have several bags of gil in the back to say so. Greedy nobles will do anything these days.

          "Well, we are in the middle of a very important situation, right now," I said carefully.

          "Oh really? So where's your daughter?"

          Uh…oh. I didn't want Ryoko back there, especially with Kirika in such a volatile mood. But what could I do?

          "Kuja."

          I turned around, only to see Zidane with a wide smile on his face.

          'Is she ok?' I mouthed to him.

          He nodded.

          Kirika:

          I was exhausted, literally, but that faded when I saw my brand new baby girl. I closed my eyes and whispered a prayer to Iifa. Maybe that was the spirit that has been guiding me.

          "So what are you going to name her?"

          I opened the eyes slowly and turned over onto my side to face Garnet.

          "Umm…Kajin."

          "That's a good name. Now, just rest."

          You didn't have to tell me twice. And so, I relaxed. The sound of voices made me sit up painfully and stare at the door. Garnet glanced at me warily and went to the door. Before she could get to it, the door swung open and a woman stepped in. I swallowed a growl and promptly put a smile on my face.

          "Well, well, look what we have here."

          I blinked as I recognized the face of Ryoko, Treno's proudest and richest noble. Wonderful, just wonderful.

          "Why are you here?" I asked.

          Ryoko glanced at my newborn daughter with malice. I felt compelled to get up and kick her out of Kyuuden, but that was risky. I didn't have much physical energy to deal with right now so any activity would drain me.

          "Who is the father?" Ryoko asked.

          I knew what she was getting at and I wasn't going to tell her.

          "That's none of your business," I snapped.

          Ryoko grabbed Kajin and held her up to the light. This time, I couldn't hold my snarl back. Garnet started to rush to my aid, but I quickly waved her back.

          "Now tell me, who is the father?"

          "What do you have to gain from hurting my child?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

          "Because you are not a noble. You are some kind of freak who stole Myou from me!"

          That cut deeply. Garnet retrieved Kajin from Ryoko's trembling hands and backed away. I silently thanked her and got up from the bed.

          "I did not steal Myou from you, that much I am certain of," I said.

          "Oh, but you did. You with your abnormal beauty of charm—"

          "You are sadly mistaken."

          Nothing could stop me from receiving this blow. Ryoko slugged me in the side of my mouth roughly and laughed. I fell and spat out blood onto the floor.

          "I'm not finished with you, Kirika Tribal," She whispered.

          Ryoko spat on my body and walked out of the room. I glared at her as she exited. I'm not finished with you either, Ryoko. I thought darkly.

Myou:

          I could tell something was wrong the moment I stepped foot on Totetsumonari Kyuuden's grounds. It just felt wrong. I opened the front door calmly and stepped in. I closed the door behind me and stood there, listening to the silence in the palace.

          "Oh, Myou, it's you."

          I blinked and noticed the look on Kirei's face.

          "What happened?"

          "Ryoko happened, that's what. You need to talk with Kuja and Zidane before seeing Kirika."

          I hid my anger and sighed.

          "Where are they?"

          "In the study."

          I walked down the hallway and into the open door in the back. Sure enough, Kuja and Zidane were inside, each sporting a mug.

          "Glad to see your back. Unfortunately enough, you missed your friend just a few minutes ago," Kuja snapped.

          I blinked and ran my hand through my hair.

          "I figured she would come here sooner or later."

          "I supposed you didn't expect her to try to kill your newborn daughter, did you?"

          A wave of cold swept over my body, making me shiver. I couldn't believe Ryoko. Why did she do that?

          "Kuja, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Kirika:

          I listened to the conversation across the hallway with a frown on my face. I rubbed my jaw and sighed. It wasn't right to place the blame on Myou. He didn't know that Ryoko would do this. I started to go into the study, but I remembered Garnet's firm orders as she left for her room. I wasn't supposed to be up and moving, especially with the medicine she gave me. A small hint of motion outside the window caught my attention. I went over to it and poked my head out. A small girl danced in the snow outside my window with hints of blood on her face. Blood? Why would a kid have blood on its face?

          "Come on, slowpoke. You're going to miss it!"

          "Miss what?" I asked.

          The girl smiled and twirled around.

          "The feast, child of Iifa! The feast!"

          Hmm…feast? I was curious about this feast, plus I didn't want to listen to the arguing anymore. I climbed out of the window slowly, taking time to find my footing on the ground below. You see, my room was on the bottom floor of Kyuuden, which made sneaking out easy. Thank you childhood. The girl ran out into the woods and out into the free air of Gaia. I followed after her slowly, noting how much pain I felt in my waist. So herbal medicine didn't always work, heh, heh. I emerged out into the air of Gaia and rubbed my arm. The girl smiled and sat down in the grass.

          "Where's the feast?" I asked.

          All of a sudden, I was grabbed from behind and forced to the ground. I struggled to get free as best I could, but my 'wounds' made it worse. Moments later, I was greeted with the face of Mikoto. I snarled and tried to kick at her. I was thrown down against the ground and slapped.

          "You shouldn't have wondered out, Kirika. Even now, you risk death," Mikoto said softly.

          How many times have I heard that?

          "Why are you here? It's too dangerous to be this close to Totetsumonari Kyuuden," I snapped.

          Mikoto smirked and pulled a small bottle out of her robes.

          "Garland told me to give you this. However, I can't trust you to actually drink it. So…"

          She knelt down next to me and opened the bottle. I pulled against the hands that held me, attempting to get away.

          "Now, now, calm down. We can't have a genome child and its mother coming about can we?"

          She forced my mouth open and began pouring the liquid down. The initial shock of it made me swallow at least half of the contents before my mind caught up with what was going on. I spat the rest of it into Mikoto's face and was repaid by a hard smack in the face and a slam into the ground. I was halfway aware of what was going on by now and I knew that I was going to go unconscious soon.

          "Have fun, Kirika. Oh, and do say hi to Kuja for me."

Myou:

          After my less than happy meeting, I sat out in the hallway, deep in thought. I wanted to keep Kirika safe, but I wanted to keep my job. Kirika meant everything to me, she truly did. And now that little Kajin was in the world, I had more to think about and more to protect. Maybe Kirika could shed some light on the situation. I opened her door slowly, just in case she was asleep. When the door was fully open, I noticed the bed was empty and the window was open. Just like Kirika. I exited the room and walked into the front foyer. Kirei was pacing around in the middle of the floor, obliviously deep in thought.

          "She did it again," I muttered.

          Kirei stared at me with those tired blood eyes of hers and yawned.

          "Let us hurry then. We'll have to search Treno. Are you up to it?"

          Was this routine or what? Heh, Kirika must run out enough so that her family just stopped panicking when it happened. How ironic.

Kirika:

          My eyes shot open just as another strong gust of wind hit the countryside. I struggled to remember what happened before, but to no avail. All I remember was the walk out here. My body ached all over and my head hurt. I had to make it back to Treno. Why was I out here when I had a baby to take care of? I got up to my feet and started walking to Treno's front gates. It wouldn't be wise to go back through the woods to Totetsumonari Kyuuden due to the fact that they were enchanted enough to keep everything out.

          And by everything, I meant everything. I held my right arm close as I noticed blood dripping down it. What had happened to it? I didn't know, I couldn't remember. The guards at the gate gave me a strange look as I walked past them. At first, the streets were empty, but as I tried to continue along the path to Kyuuden, it began to fill up. And then, I saw…

Myou:

          At first, I couldn't believe my eyes and then, I had to wonder what did bodily harm to Kirika. She was staggering up the path to Kyuuden slowly with a grimace on her face. People were already out in the street gawking and laughing. I knew Ryoko arranged this somehow, but I couldn't very well accuse her in public. At least, not yet. 

          "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

          I turned around only to catch sight of Ryoko's ugly grin. She was enjoying this.

          "You can only go lower from here," Kirei commented.

          I stifled a laugh and headed over to Kirika's ailing form. I reached out to touch her face…

          "Don't touch me!" She shrieked.

          The street fell silent as she straightened up and began to lean from side to side. I withdrew my hand and backed away, confused.

          "Kirika…what's wrong with you?" I asked.

          Kirika giggled and stared at me with unusually azure eyes that were glazed over.

          "Who are you?"

          "Myou," Kirei growled.

          She was warning me to be careful that much I knew.

          "Kirika, you need to come back with us to Totetsumonari Kyuuden. You need rest," I said carefully.

          Kirika's body swayed and leaned forward. Her eyes were cat-like now.

          "Rest? Rest is nothing but a tool to get away from realities. You are weak if you sleep."

          Ryoko laughed and walked up beside me.

          "My, my, look how pathetic you are. It's hard to believe you are the source of Myou's affections."

          If I thought this situation could not get any worse then I was fooling myself.

          "Pathetic mortal, who do you fool when you put on your high and mighty act? Hmm…you disappoint me," Kirika snapped.

          This was going to get ugly. Ryoko huffed.

          "Just who do you think you are!" She shouted.

          Kirika giggled and straightened up again. Her fiery red hair instantly turned black as she extended her hand.

          "I owe you something."

          She broke into a mighty cackle as blue lightning shot out of her hand and into Ryoko's body. I caught the whiplash of the spell and flew back into a wall. Kirei rushed to my side and traced a circle in the air with her finger. Several lightning bolts shot down onto Kirika's body, sending her to the ground. I wanted to protest her actions, but I found myself at a loss for words. Kirei looked at the crowd with growing concern on her face.

          "Run! Get out of here go!" She shrieked.

          Kirika was back onto her feet and smiling. Her body was surrounded by darkness and something else I couldn't identify. So far, I hadn't seen Ryoko get to her feet yet which meant that something was seriously wrong.

          "Myou, leave for Kyuuden, I'll handle Kirika," Kirei muttered.

          "No. Kirika needs me and I haven't been fair to her. You've got to let me stay here," I protested.

          Kirei sighed and shook her head.

          "You've got a lot to learn about Kirika, but fine. Talk to her while I try to take her down from behind."

          I started towards Kirika slowly while keeping my expression unreadable. Her body convulsed and hunched again. Her eyes were glassy all over again, but this time, they held no malice.

          "Who are you?"

          I hated to see her like this. It was like someone took her fragile psyche and threw it out the window. What happened to her after I got home?

          "I'm Myou. Don't you remember me?"

          "Myou…?"

          I nodded.

          "I'm the father of our child, Kain. You've got to remember that."

          Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kirei move out from behind a building and inch over to Kirika's prone form.

          "My memory is not what it used to be. Forgive me," Kirika whispered.

          You're joking, please tell me that you're joking. How could you not know me? Before I could say anything more, a crack sound and Kirika fell to the ground, limp. I swallowed hard and turned away from the woman that lay before me. That wasn't Kirika. That was not the woman I made love to. That was something else…something unnatural.


	11. What is Normal?

Author's Note: Thank you, LeFox for your support. I thought Chapter 9 was a failure. It was so long, you know. Anyways, enjoy!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 10-What is Normal?

The Invincible

3:57 P.M.

Kuja:

          Last nights little accident cost us a home, especially since the nobles refused to let us back into Totetsumonari Kyuuden. This was an ugly loss for me, but fortunately, Kirika didn't have to see it. We were all glad when she stayed asleep during the night. Kajin was a bit fussy because of it, but after a few hours with me, she went to sleep. I had her even now as I piloted the Invincible. Everyone else except for Kirei was deep in sleep, ready for our next task.

          "Kuja, I want to talk to you about Kirika."

          I turned around and shifted Kajin to my left arm. Kirei smiled softly and started to touch her, but quickly thought the better of it.

          "It's about last night isn't it?" I asked.

          "It's happening to her, Kuja. The darkness trance."

          I've figured that out for myself, Kirei. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew that the same thing that happened to me ten years ago was happening to her. The intense hatred, the pain, and the power. That was in my blood and I knew it was bound to happen to Kirika too. She would have to come to her senses herself, like I did, in order to fight it.

          "There is nothing we can do about it but get her to fight it on her own. It's the only way," I muttered.

          Kirei sighed.

          "That way is dangerous and you know it."

          I glared at her and shifted Kajin to my right arm.

          "Well, of course it is. Don't you remember what I did ten years ago? It's really not that hard to figure out," I snapped.

          That shut her up. I really didn't like talking about my post all that much but sometimes it was required.

Kirika:

          My body ached all over, which was still nothing new. The only different was that I didn't have a huge belly and my back didn't hurt so much. Oh, and I was in the Invincible. But how did I get here? Against my will, that's how.

          "Good afternoon, Kirika. I trust you slept well?"

          I could tell that was Zidane by the way he used sarcasm in his voice. I sat up slowly, trying to get the feeling back into the lower end of my body.

          "What happened?" I asked.

          Zidane seemed to flinch and then he covered it up with a shrug.

          "You passed out outside that's why you don't remember being carried out here."

          "I didn't ask to leave Treno, Zidane. Where is Kuja?" I snapped.

          "In the cockpit with little Kajin."

          We'll see about that. I got up from my bed, ignoring the pain in my legs and walked out of the room. I knew Zidane was cursing up a storm behind me for telling me that I was asleep when I was carried into the Invincible. I reached the front of the Invincible with ease and opened the door cockpit. Kirei and Kuja were both inside, marveling over Kajin. Ah…Kajin…I haven't touched her since she was born.

          "You know I hardly approve of this, Kuja," I snapped.

          "You haven't been awake long enough to make decision," Kirei pointed out.

          "You have no right to talk," I snarled.

          Kuja backed off and hugged Kajin close to him.

          "Maybe someone should remind you that you're just a child and that you shouldn't be allowed to do anything."

          Ooh…nice insult, Kirei.

          "You don't know me, Kirei. You'll never know me. So why don't you get your traitorous ass away from us," I snapped.

          That hit a nerve. Without warning, Kirei slapped me. At first, I thought about hitting her back, but I thought the better of it. I just shrugged and rubbed my cheek softly.

          "Is this what you resort to? Slapping people? If you were going to stop me last night, you would have to do a lot more than slap me."

          Kirei looked at me in shock. I would have done that too, but something compelled me to mention last night. When I thought of it, I found I could remember all of what happened last night…the attack on Ryoko, everything. I had to admit I shared equal fear about what happened last night. It felt like I had no control over my body and mind. Frightening.

          "Kirika," Kirei breathed as she exited the room.

          I watched her go with little or no remorse.

Myou:

          The Invincible was built excellently, but the walls were thin, very thin. The worst thing I had to gain from those thin walls was the truth about last night. Kirei wasn't going to stop her like she said she would. That was a lie. I think she couldn't because of the energy surrounding Kirika. But what about Kirika? How did she fell about the entire situation? She probably didn't feel good about it at all. Whenever I heard her speak, I couldn't help but catch the bitterness in her tone.

          I think she was scared. I know I as. Kirika still meant the world to me and so did Kajin. I think it would be best that I go see them now. I walked out of my room and went into the cockpit. Kirika was on the opposite side of the room with her arms folded. Kuja was in the center with little Kajin in his arms.

          "I suppose I'm interrupting something important," I said out loud.

          Kuja jumped, but Kirika sat still and showed no sign of noticing my entrance.

          "No, of course not."

          I turned and watched Kirika calmly.

          "Kirika?"

          Her body hunched and her head rolled back. Her expression was lax and glassy and her eyes…were orange.

          "Oh, Myou. Did you sleep well or did the horror of Ryoko's injuries haunt you?"

          Ryoko…she was lucky to be alive. Kirika's spell had burnt her so horribly that even if they can peel off the dead skin, she'll be ugly and scarred for life. It was a fitting punishment, but a cruel one as well.

          "Why did you do that, Kirika?" I asked.

          "Jealousy is fodder for the darkness. I just did what it bid me."

          "But it's wrong."

          Kirika laughed.

          "Who controls what is right or wrong? Do you?"

          She had me there. I couldn't retaliate against her so I went to Kuja and took Kajin from him.

          "I need to speak with you later on," He whispered.

          I knew he wanted to speak about Kirika's behavior. Personally, her behavior disturbed me more than it did him.

          "Father, if we are to reclaim Alexandria by the end of the day, we must get ready."

          I turned to see if that really was Kirika speaking. Sure enough, it was. Was she normal now?

          "Kirika, I—"

          She cut me off with a look that said 'Talk about this later', and headed for the door.

          "Come with me, Myou. And Kuja, open the cargo doors. We unload now."

          I followed after her quickly, not wanting to be caught in one of her moods. Kirika went down the steps and into the cargo room. Once there, she slipped a sling on and took Kajin from me.

          "She's better off with me, since I'll be in the air above the gasses. You'll be in the gas itself with Kuja. You'd better bone up on magic."

          As she spoke, I listened for hints of bitterness and sadness in her voice. There were none. Did that mean she was normal again? Probably not. Kirika sat Kajin in the sling and got onto Silver's back. As if on cue, the cargo doors opened and a gust of wind blew in.

          "Kirika, be safe."

          "I will. Don't die down there. You're the only one who can save me."

          Wait…save you? Before I could say anything to her about it, she and Silver flapped out of the bay. She really was so cryptic sometimes.

Alexandria City

Myou:

          The air in Alexandria was filmy, but that was to be expected. The gas that was pumped here was actually clinging to the air by the help of magic. Kirika and Garnet had figured that out weeks ago and had formulated a plan to counter it.

          "Myou, you stand right here. This is the first point," Kuja muttered as he adjusted his mask.

          I nodded, noting Silver's position in the sky.

          "Call her," I whispered, motioning to the walkie-talkie he had in his hand.

          Kuja nodded and lifted it to his mouth.

          "Kirika, twister."

          There was no answer, but I knew she understood. A cry of 'Twister' cut through the still air instantly. Three gusts of wind shot down into the center of the city. Warm air shot past us, whipping at our faces until there was no trace of gas left around.

          "Where's Silver?"

          I blinked at Kuja and shrugged. All of a sudden, a silver dragon dropped down onto the building violently.

          "Silver!" Kuja shouted.

          I grabbed his arm before he could run away and turned to the others.

          "Can you see Kirika?" I asked.

          Zidane nodded grimly.

          "She fell along with Silver."

          Not good.

Kirika:

          I hit the floor of the building violently, trying to keep a firm hold on my child. I couldn't move or breathe no matter how much I tried.

          "Silver," I choked out.

          There was a weak growl and then a small rumble as she got back to her feet. I weakly loosened the straps for the sling and pulled Kajin away from me gently. Silver nuzzled my face and grabbed the sling. I pulled myself up to my feet, forcing air back into my lungs. I had to get Kajin out of danger. That was my first priority. I hooked the sling across her neck and secured Kajin quickly.

          "Jump, Silver. Stay with the others," I shouted.

          Silver did as I said and disappeared around the corner. I was left alone with no clue on how we crashed.

          "Come on, Kirika. I knew Mikoto said you were weak, but I didn't know it was true."

          I turned around and smirked. It seemed like I was in a fighting mood today. Hmm…how grand.


	12. The Arrival of the Dream Weavers

Author's Note: Guess who's back…

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 11-The Arrival of the Dream Weavers

City of Alexandria

Myou:

          I wasn't new to watching sword fights, especially those between the nobles, but this one was brutal. Kirika was unbelievably fast and vicious with her sword strikes, even though she sported some bruises of her own. The person who was fighting with her had hundreds of little cuts on her face from where Kirika kept slapping her. On and on it went until Kirika had forced the girl to the edge of the building. Even when she was fighting, she had unbelievable grace and style. I had to wonder what made her act strange this morning. It seemed unnatural somehow…almost like another personality existed with her. If such a thing could happen…

          "Something's wrong."

Kirika:

          Something shut off in my head, forcing me to stumble backwards onto the cement. I had no idea what it was or where it was coming from, but it hurt and hurt badly. For perhaps the second time in my life, I began to panic. My body refused to move when I willed it to and the girl was closing in. Was I going to die? Was this appointed end?

          _Don't count on it._

          Wait did I just hear a voice in my head?

          _Silly girl. It is only now that I make my presence known to you. But you've known me since you were very, very young._

          I heard voices when I was younger? But there was no answer. My body began to shake as I got up from the ground, filled with new energy. The girl came in with both swords flying low and to the side. My hands snapped out at the blades, knowing full well that I would get cut, and knocked them away. In one fluid motion, I placed pressure on the woman's right wrist and snatched the blade out of her hand. Pivoting on one foot, I swung the blade hard along the base of her throat, pouring her lifeblood out on to the ground. I sat back a few inches, watching her drop to the floor pitifully.

          She was a genome…one of us. I was so blinded by my fighting skills that I didn't see it. She was just…like me. I dropped the blade on her chest and floated back down into the street.

Myou:

          I could tell by the way Kirika hunched that something was wrong again. I watched her fall and then strike back against her unknown assailant with vicious precision. And now…she was sad.

          "Kirika?" Zidane called.

          "I kill her when she was the same as me. So…who is to say what's right and what's wrong?"

          Her voice was wavering and her body began to tremble. I walked up to her slowly, watching for signs of hostility. Kirika's expression did not change, thankfully enough. I hugged her gently and turned her towards me. She didn't look at me, but instead, she began to foam at the mouth. (A/N: Weird, huh?)

          "You didn't stop me…you didn't care…"

          And then, she fell limp.

5:17 P.M.

Musouka:

          I sniffed the air hungrily as I gazed up into the night sky. It had been years since Iyori and I left Jougen. We were wanderers now, nomads of the deepest, darkest night. Our Dream Weaving culture hadn't truly left us, although we were far away from our characteristic dream field. Ah…Jougen. It was unsafe to return there now with the decaying trees and mist. We were not the only ones that were out wandering; many of us were out in different areas of Gaia with chocobos. We communicated with them often, through cell phone when communications were high. But often, we communicated through dreams.

          _Musouka, this is the sky givers, Kyohaku and Natiokage. What's your status?_

          Ah, Kyohaku and Natiokage. I wondered how they were fairing since the move from Esto Gaza to Alexandria.

          _Musouka is present. How fare you since the move?_

          I sent that thought across the plains and mountains to the two.

          _Ah, the move was great. Plenty of dreams to weave. But that's not the point. We've just recently got word of Garnet's return to Alexandria._

          Garnet's return? I patted my golden chocobo's back, which was the signal to stop, and pulled my cell phone out.

          _Kyohaku, Natiokage, standby for a call. Oh…and call Iyori for me._

          I flipped open the cover and dialed Iyori's number. It rang only once.

          "Yes?" All three voices answered.

          "Iyori, what's the news from Treno?" I asked as I got off of my golden chocobo.

          "Kuja lost Totetsumonari Kyuuden yesterday. It seems like his daughter um well…attacked the highest ranking noble there."

          "Natiokage, Kyohaku, what kind of information do you have on Kirika Tribal?"

          "Um…she's a full bred genome, which means she shares 95% of Kuja's genes. If you are familiar with Kuja's past, you can understand the risk she poses to the world," Natiokage muttered.

          "Also, she has a newborn girl child named Kajin. The father was the ex mayor of Treno," Kyohaku piped up.

          Interesting.

          "Have you been able to get more information on that incident?" I asked.

          "I've gotten my hand on the official documents, but I can't hold them long. If you want to see it, go to Alexandria."

          "Fine, on my way."

          I closed my phone and got back onto my chocobo. I patted its neck and pulled on the reins softly. The golden chocobo jumped into the air and flapped its wings powerfully, quickly gaining altitude. Off to Alexandria I go!

7:51 P.M.

Myou:

          I watched the rise and fall of Kirika's chest and smiled softly. I was glad that she decided to sleep and rest for the rest of the night after that entire episode with the female genome. Surprisingly enough, I expected her to be out to watch it, but she was content to stay with Kajin for the evening. I placed a kiss on her forehead and exited the room quietly. For now, I had to find Kuja. He wanted to talk to me earlier, that much I knew. I was curious about his theories on Kirika's behavior. Instead of being inside of a room, I found Kuja out on a balcony.

          "Ah…so, your back."

          I laughed.

          "I never left. But apparently Kirika has several times."

          Kuja snorted and flicked his wonderful silver hair back.

          "That's what I was trying to talk to you about. You see, Kirika is going through what I went through at her age. The only thing is…the symptoms are much more different which means…there is something else that has to do with it."

          "So…it's not what you originally thought?"

          "Yeah, but we haven't been able to figure it out yet. Kirika hasn't exactly been helpful lately."

          "It's not her fault."

          "I know."

          Kirika couldn't control what was happening to her yet. So the one thing they could hope for was that it was something mental. Possession was pretty old nowadays so that was ruled out. So…what could it be?

          "I have a feeling someone will shed a light on it soon," I commented.

          "Kuja, we have visitors downstairs."

          I yawned and turned around to see Zidane. Kuja nodded and walked back into the castle. I followed him downstairs and into the front foyer calmly. Inside of the front foyer were two people: one woman, one man. Both of them had small white feathers embedded in their hair and with orange eyes.

          "Greetings, I am Musouka and this is my brother Iyori," The woman said softly.

          The legendary dream weavers?

          "You are the legendary dream wavers of Jougen, are you not?" I asked.

          "You know of us?" Iyori asked.

          "I've told them your story once or twice."

          Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Garnet enter the room.

          "Ah, Suteki, good to see you," Musouka commented.

          "Same to you. So what brings you here?"

          Musouka eyed Kuja casually and produced a stack of paper.

          "Your daughter has quite a reputation, Kuja. It surely eludes her even at this moment."

          Garnet frowned and took the stack of papers from her calmly.

          "It looks like Kirika's little accident has gotten more attention than we would like," She commented.

          I shrugged.

          "That's to be expected," I muttered.

          "So where is she?" Musouka asked.

          "Resting with Kajin," I answered.

          A smirk eased across her lips.

          "Asleep?"

          I nodded.

          "Good. Leave me or watch and I shall weave a dream for you."

Musouka:

          All of the rest in the world could not prepare me for any kind of dream weaving. Nevertheless, pushing myself to the limits of my strength was something I personally enjoyed. I touched my brother's hand faintly and settled down into a comfortable pose.

          "Connecting to the dream world. Please say silent…" I whispered as I threw my head back.

          Images flashed in front of my eyes as my body relaxed on its own. Within seconds, I extended my reach to Kirika's mind upstairs and entered it. The next thing I saw was an endless field full of rotten flowers and it was raining. The weirdest thing about this particular dream was that I could feel the raindrops. Subconsciously, I felt my hands moving in order to create an image for my audience downstairs. All of a sudden, a woman appeared in front of me, dressed in see-through, skintight robes. She had fiery red hair and dark green eyes that shined through the haze of the rain.

          "Why are you in here?"

          "You are Kirika, are you not?"

          "Names are not important to me, but apparently it is to you."

          That was not the answer I expected. Kirika's expression turned dark.

          "You are a dream weaver, are you not?" She asked.

          I nodded. She laughed and walked away into the rain.

          "See you soon, Musouka."


	13. Like Father, Like Daughter

Author's Note: In a flash of inspiration, I thought of a chapter with Kuja vs. Kirika. Yay!

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 12-Like Father, Like Daughter

Alexandria City

Dawn

Myou:

          I watched Kirika's farms outside from the window calmly. She had just gotten up a few minutes ago quietly. I was surprised that she was this silent. Was something bothering her? I sat on the windowsill and sighed.

          "Good morning, dear," I said softly.

          "I know you're worried about me, especially after last night."

          Musouka told us that something was lurking within Kirika's psyche, but she wasn't exactly sure she was right. I didn't really know either. It would take another strange event to reveal the truth. And maybe, just maybe she was over it. Heh…not likely.

          "I am worried though," I commented.

          "Don't be. I'm normal as normal can be."

          "Is your energy back?"

          She nodded.

Kuja:

          Another sunrise. Another start to another Gaian day. For once, I felt excellent enough to work out today. My frail condition had put me out of training for nearly four months. Humph…I better take advantage of this newfound health now. Maybe Kirika would like to talk. Maybe. I opened the door to my room and walked down the hallway. It was quiet, as always, except for the quiet clanging of pots downstairs. Garnet was probably trying to prepare breakfast. I knew I wasn't going to eat again today. Garnet's cooking wasn't all that bad, but I preferred Zidane to even Kirika's home cooking. I shrugged it off and knocked on Kirika's door softly.

          "Come in."

          I opened the door slowly, giving them time to straighten up. The room was brightly lit with the orange light of the raising sun. Kirika was perched in the open window with Kajin in her arms peacefully. Myou was just a few inches away from her, handing her a small bottle.

          "Ah, father…you must be feeling better again. What's going on?" Kirika asked.

          "Are you up to training?" I asked.

          She nodded and handed Kajin to Myou.

          "Hmm…perhaps."

          I smiled.

          "Meet me in the training room."

          "Ok."

Alexandria Castle's Training Room

Kirika:

          It was cold and quiet inside the training room as I walked inside of it. I was dressed in my comfortable, black, training suit, as that I wouldn't get overheated. Heat exhaustion was dangerous during this time of year. Like I said before, my body couldn't tolerate a lot of temperature variances, although I learned a tolerance to heat. Kuja was waiting on the other side of the room, dressed in a silver jumpsuit that fit his body perfectly. It was good to see him back out and alert again, even though his age had caught up to him.

          He was dying and yet, he didn't look like it. I smirked and brought out my whip slowly. It wasn't an ordinary whip, (like I would be caught dead wielding anything normal) it was a magically enchanted anti-gravity whip. I felt along the edges of it tenderly, feeling the pent up magic bouncing around inside of it. You see, the anti-gravity magic stayed deeply embedded in the middle of the whip until a gravity spell was in effect. A smirk eased across my face as I realized the options I had.

          I had a strict advantage over my father now, and I knew it. However, with him, I couldn't be so sure…

          "Ready, father?" I asked, holding my whip high above my head. Kuja smirked and drew his whip out, testing its weight in his hand. He had the real gravity whip on his person, which would make this interesting.

          "Don't make this easy for me, Kirika!"

          Trust me, I won't. As if on cue, energy rushed to the both of my hands surrounding them with a hazy glow. I cracked my whip in front of me, and a magical waves shot out towards Kuja. Kuja yawned calmly and paced around a little bit before swinging his arm in a wide arc. Of course, this did nothing; Kuja was doing it just for show. The magical wave washed over him (seemingly) and wiped his form from sight. Something in my mind told me that the wave didn't hit him and that he was going to attack my weaker left flank. I shrugged off the suspicion I felt at this revelation and lifted my whip to protect that side. Sure enough, Kuja charged out of the walls and thrust his whip at me.

          No matter how easy that seemed, I kept my cool and parried using my hands and the middle of my whip. In a rather unpredictable move, Kuja swiped my whip away and pushed himself from me. I knew better than to get it, for it was a very common rule not to turn your back on your opponent. I smirked, my hands instantly shooting down to the spot where I hid my twin swords. In one fluid motion, I unsheathed them and held them at my sides.

          "I don't want to have to cut that pretty face of yours, Kuja, so you better be ready to defend!" I shouted, snapping my swords up to the ready position.

          Kuja laughed and held his arms above his head.

          "Well, I doubt you'll be able to do that, Kirika. On account of the fact that you'll be sent back to your room with your tail in-between your legs."

          Heh, we'll see, Kuja. We'll see. With one fluid crack, his whip wound around my right wrist. I smirked and pulled the whip towards me sharply. Kuja had no choice but to run towards me and that's when I swung my blade high so that if it did cut, it would only catch the top part of his hair. Instead of hesitating like I expected him to, he forced all of his weight on me, knocking me over. I smirked and threw him off of me the moment I hit the floor.

          I scrambled back up to my feet and swiped at his forehead with both of my swords. Kuja kicked me in the stomach, ignoring the blood that oozed down his face. I stumbled back and hit the floor again, watching Kuja intently.

          "Kuja, Kirika, Queen Garnet requests your presence in the Invincible."

          I narrowed my eyes at the guard and got up. I bet we were getting ready to go somewhere again. I couldn't allow that to happen, not with Kajin so vulnerable to sickness. And so was I.

          "Let's go hear them out, Kirika. I'm sure nothing's wrong," Kuja commented.

          I shrugged and smoothed my hair back. I think he caught my initial reaction and I was pretty sure he thought the same way.

          "Go head without me," I muttered.

          Kuja gave me a concerned look and left the training room.

Kuja:

          I knew something was wrong with Kirika, but I couldn't put a finger on it. I wondered if she knew what was going on with her as well. I yawned and opened the door to the Airship dock. The Invincible was parked inside and the side door was wide open. I could only guess that whatever they wanted to talk to me about was serious. I walked into the cockpit quietly. Everyone turned to face me, including Myou and Musouka.

          "Where's Kirika?" Myou asked.

          "She's back in the training room."

          "I'll go get her for you, Kuja," Musouka offered.

Musouka:

          The moment I stepped into the training room, I felt something dark wash over me. I couldn't quite detect what it was, simply because of the fact that it wasn't dream related. Kirika was in the middle of the room, seemingly resting after the combination she praticed.

          "Come on, Kirika, the other's need you," I said softly.

          Kirika glanced over my shoulder slowly, breathing heavily. Her skin was flushed and glassy looking.

          "Musouka…oh…"

          That wasn't good.

          "Kirika…are you ok?" I asked.

          There was no answer. I started to touch her, but her entire body jerked and collapsed. I ran to her side immediately and shook her.

Kirika did not move.


	14. Virus

Sosei, Reincarnation's Sequel

Chapter 13-Virus

Alexandria City

Myou:

          "Kuja, everyone! Help me get Kirika up!"

          The urgency in Musouka's voice told me that something was wrong. Nevertheless, I was the first to arrive in the training room. Kirika was lying on the floor, very still. I could tell by the ragged rise and fall of her chest that something was ailing her horribly. I handed Kajin to Kuja and rushed to her side. Her skin actually burned my hand as I sat her little body up.

          "What happened to her?" I asked.

          "She just collapsed," Musouka whispered.

          Kirei sighed and touched Kirika's forehead.

          'She has a fever. There's no way we can keep her here. Neo Lindblum has one of the top hospitals in all of Gaia. Melinda can help us get her in," She said calmly.

          I picked Kirika up gently and hugged her close to me.

          "Let us go."

Neo Lindblum General Hospital

Myou:

          "It seems like my sister has a devastating virus known in mythology as Ebola," Melinda said softly.

          Ebola? Mythology? This was something I didn't know about. Kuja ran his fingers through his hair, and for a moment I saw a hint of tears in his eyes.

          "What can we do for her?" He asked.

          Melinda turned around and pressed her hands against the glass. On the other side of that glass was my love, Kirika Tribal, in a bed unconscious but breathing. On the floor were a couple of her lovely red feathers.

          'I don't know, Kuja. The doctors say that she'll last at least a week and then the true effects of the illness will set in," Melinda replied.

          What she meant was that after a week, Kirika was as good as dead. And Kajin wouldn't have a mother.

          "I…don't believe this. You're not going to just accept Kirika's fate like this. There had to be some other way," I snapped.

          Kuja glared at me darkly.

          "You have no idea what this signifies, Myou. Maybe you should learn to keep out of things that you don't know about!"

          "She had your grandchild, Kuja. She passed on your linage without her, that linage will die!"

          "I'm aware of it, Myou! But what the hell can I do? I don't see you helping us!"

          "You are a horrible excuse for a father!"

          Kuja's eyes flashed crimson for a second and reverted to its normal cerulean color.

          "You try something then," He hissed and walked out.

          I sighed and rubbed my temples slowly. Kirei touched my shoulder softly and shook her head.

          "Don't let Kuja get to you?" Zidane snorted.

          'Kuja is upset because what's happening to Kirika should be happening to him. But if you hadn't noticed it, he is going blind."

          Kuja wanted to die. It wasn't that hard to believe, but how would that help Kirika? I touched the glass and watched the heart monitor. Kirika was breathing normally again, which was good.

          "Is there anyway I can see her?" I asked.

          Melinda frowned.

          "Probably later. I really think you don't want to see her throw up and be miserable. Seeing as that can and will happen when she wakes up."

          "Look…I'll go find Kuja and talk to him," Zidane said softly.

          "Me too, Kirei whispered.

          I nodded and watched them leave.

Kuja:

          Despair filled my heart, engulfing me in a ball of depression. My daughter was dying for something I should have caught. But no…the fates have cursed me! I loved my daughter so much! Why did it have to happen to her? Why? I sat outside on the roof of the hospital, letting the wind blow through my silvery hair. Kirika's feathers were falling out two by two. She was dying. I was…of no use to her. Just when I thought Kirika was happy…

          "Kuja?"

          I turned around slowly and eyed Kirei and Zidane.

          "Oh…I supposed you're here to chastise me about Kirika," I said sulkily.

          "No, I don't think we need to. But I think its best that we support Myou for a little while," Kirei said.

          "Kuja, I know how you feel. You've raised Kirika from a child to a proud woman. I doubt she'll stay down from this," Zidane muttered.

          I pray to the gods above that you are right.

Hours Later

Myou:

          Melinda waved me over to the door next to the sheet of glass separating Kirika's room from the rest of the hospital. She handed me a suit and sighed.

          "The staff doesn't want to get infect with Ebola so they want you to dress in this until they can give you a purifying potion."

          I sighed and got into the suit and zipped it up.

          "Be careful," Melinda whispered as she opened the door and ushered me in.

          The room was quiet except for the dry hacking and coughing from Kirika. I stepped further into the room and caught sight of a pale Kirika wiping her mouth.

          "Oh…Myou. You don't need to see me like this."

          I smiled despite myself and walked the rest of the distance to her bed. Kirika learned back against her pillow and attempted to smile. I would have applauded her effort, but I thought the better of it. It would be mocking her and that wouldn't be right.

          "How are you feeling?" I asked, touching her exposed arm a little.

          Kirika jerked a little in pain, but she covered it up with a smile.

          "Horrible, but I guess it could get worse. Thank you for helping me."

          "No…it's not helping you. I…"

          Kirika frowned and covered her mouth quickly. A moment later, she was throwing up in a nearby trashcan. When she was finished, she covered her face with her hands.

          "I-I just don't want to lose you," I whispered.

          Kirika touched the suit with her frail fingers.

          "Hush now, Myou. I'm ok…I'll always be ok. Love will carry us through this."

          Although I was against it, I began to cry. Grief overwhelmed me as Kirika took my head into her lap.

          "I love you Myou. Shh…it's ok. Don't cry."

Author's Note: I picked up Ebola for a reason, simply because in my original idea for this chapter, Kirika would cough up blood and have sores all over her body. The point was to also not kill her within twenty-four hours. Heh, heh.


End file.
